"August: Osage County," Tracy Lett's 31/2-hour play about a dysfunctional family, swept five Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall last night, including the prize for best play.

"In the Heights," Broadway's first Latino musical written by a Latino, won best musical as well as Tonys for composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, and for choreography, and orchestrations. "Passing Strange," the season's other breakthrough young musical, won just one Tony, for book, by composer-star Stew.

Northport native Patti LuPone won best actress in a musical for her performance in the revival of "Gypsy," beating Kelli O'Hara, from "South Pacific," in the season's big diva smackdown. The award was LuPone's second Tony; she previously won in 1980 for "Evita."

In her acceptance speech, LuPone echoed what many have said about her portrayal of Mama Rose: "I'm giving the performance of my life."

Her costars, Laura Benanti and Boyd Gaines, also won supporting actor awards. It was Gaines' fourth Tony. But the lavish Lincoln Center production of the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein classic "South Pacific" picked up seven prizes -- more than any other show -- including musical revival, actor-musical for leading man Paulo Szot, director-musical and four design awards, for sets, costumes, lighting, sound.

In an upset, " Boeing-Boeing," a 1960s sex farce, beat "Macbeth" to win best revival of a play. The comedy's star, Mark Rylance, won best actor (and delivered the night's strangest acceptance speech), a prize expected to go to Patrick Stewart in Shakespeare's "Macbeth."

Deanna Dunagan, who plays the matriarch in "August" won best actress in a play, and Rondi Reed, who plays her sister, won best featured actress. The play's director, Anna D. Shapiro also was honored with a Tony.

The CBS telecast, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, was an oddly shaped three hours that attempted to keep the interest of a national audience while celebrating a season dominated by unconventional musicals, first-time artists and dazzling ensembles with few stars.

Thus, there were chunks of time devoted to long-running hits from past seasons ("The Lion King," "Rent") and big-name poorly reviewed new musicals that received no major nominations ("Young Frankenstein," "Little Mermaid"). But Goldberg presented an impressive summery of the play nominations, an area usually slighted by the Tonys in favor of musicals.

Goldberg, despite some very strange costumes, also made delightful cameos in brief scenes from long-running shows. Jim Norton, who played the blind, drunken father in "The Seafarer," won best actor, beating Raul Esparza, widely expected to win for his performance in "The Caretaker."

Awards for major design categories and best play revival were relegated to a pre-Tony show available only on the Internet. Mandy Patinkin read a letter from Stephen Sondheim, who was not there to receive his lifetime achievement award.

In general, more famous people were giving awards than receiving them. Among the star presenters were Daniel Radcliffe -- aka Harry Potter -- who will make his Broadway debut in "Equus" next fall, Liza Minelli, Brooke Shields, Marisa Tomei, Laura Linney, Mary Louise Parker, Glenn Close and Alec Baldwin.

In an odd matchup, Julie Chen -- TV personality and wife of CBS president Les Moonves -- presented an overview of dramatic work on Broadway this season.

A lifetime achievement award was also given, off camera, to the late Robert Russell Bennett for his luscious orchestrations to "South Pacific," and the regional Tony was given to the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.

The Tony Awards are unique among the big award shows in that you cannot experience the nominated works or artists in the convenience of your own home, or even your own town, unless you live in New York. Notwithstanding some 12 million Broadway tickets reportedly sold last year, the broadcast is for most an exercise in vicarious theatergoing or a kind of armchair tourism -- meant in part to inspire real theatergoing and real tourism. "Come to New York and see a Broadway show" is its annually recurring mantra.

Given such general unfamiliarity with the nominees, the producers went for splash Sunday.

GOOD SPORT: It was a night filled with costume changes for Tony Awards host Whoopi Goldberg. (Jeff Christensen, Associated Press)

Awards for things like scenic design and choreography were handed out before the broadcast began to make room for a heaping helping of musical numbers -- 13, count 'em, 13 -- including nostalgic nods to "Rent" and "The Lion King."

The whole program was bent toward the might of the musical -- the award for best play was given out about two-thirds of the way through -- but that's how it goes on Broadway, after all, and for that matter on television, where shows about singing and dancing currently get an enormous amount of love.

There is something electric about it: It reminds you of just how much energy a proscenium stage can contain.

Host Whoopi Goldberg embodied the evening's stated theme that on Broadway "anything can happen" by popping into numbers from various musicals -- "The Phantom of the Opera," "Spamalot," "A Chorus Line," "Spring Awakening" -- to mildly amusing effect. She also flew in as Mary Poppins ("Yeah, I can watch the kids, but I won't be cleaning your house"). She was funnier taking a backhanded swipe at Clarence Thomas ("forgetting" that Thurgood Marshall, now the subject of a one-man show starring Laurence Fishburne, was not the only African American Supreme Court justice).

When not dressed as a crab or as a member of "A Chorus Line," she wore ruffly things designed by "Project Runway" winner Christian Soriano.

Although many of the nominees are best known, or only known, in the theater world, the presenters tend to be people you'll recognize from movies and television but who do have real theater credits, by which they are, for this occasion, identified. They all looked beautiful and handsome and dignified in this context and under this dress code.

As usual, the written material tends to short and sometimes inspiring encomiums toward the art in question and jokes that should be funnier.

The acceptance speeches were where it got good. Best lead actor in a play Mark Rylance delivered a monologue on how one should behave in the city ("at the very least you should wear a suit, carry a briefcase and a cellphone, or a team jacket, a baseball cap, and a cellphone") and in "the back country" ("it is a good idea to wear orange and carry a gun or, depending on the season, a fishing pole or a camera with a big lens, otherwise it may appear that you don't know what you're doing"), which seemed meant to say that he was surprised to find himself there.

Patti LuPone socked across her acceptance speech at about the same pitch as she sang her number from "Gypsy" and raged hilariously, and thrillingly, as the orchestra tried to play her off. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who won best score for "In the Heights," rapped his ("Vanessa, who still leaves me breathless / Thanks for lovin' me when I was broke and still makin' breakfast"), and Tracy Letts, author of best play "August: Osage County," took a swipe at the sitcommodification of Broadway, saying of his producers, "They did an amazing thing -- they decided to produce an American play on Broadway with theater actors."

SAN DIEGO, California (AFP) — Tiger Woods drained a birdie putt at the final hole Sunday to set up a David vs Goliath 18-hole playoff with unheralded American Rocco Mediate at the 108th US Open golf championship.

Woods completed a two-over 73 to force the Monday showdown with Mediate, who fired an even-par 71 on the Torrey Pines South course for a one-under total of 283.

"The green wasn't very smooth," Woods said. "I kept telling myself make a pure stroke. If it bounces in or out, so be it, at least I can hold my head up high and hit a pure stroke. I hit it exactly where I wanted to, and it went in."

Mediate was watching from a scoring booth as Woods's putt curled around the lip of the cup before dropping.

Mediate, a 45-year-old who has won five times on the US PGA Tour but is seeking his first major title, said he was certain it would go in.

"Unbelievable, I knew he would make it," Mediate said. "How much better can this get?"

England's Lee Westwood had a chance to join the playoff with a birdie at the last, but his 20 footer trickled away from the cup and left him with a 73 for even-par 284.

Woods started the day with a one-shot lead over Westwood, with Mediate a further shot back.

The world No.1 owns a perfect 13-0 record in major championships in which he has held or shared the lead going into the final round, but he couldn't get any momentum going as he posted his worst score of the week.

But he'll get a chance to take his total of major triumphs to 14 on Monday as he continues his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus's record of 18.

Woods, still showing some signs of pain in his surgically repaired left knee, was leading Mediate by one shot through 12 holes before a bogey at the par-five 13th, a hole he had eagled in the past two rounds.

Woods was on the left edge of the fairway off the tee, and hit his second shot left into the hazard. Westwood bogeyed 13 in similar fashion, while at the same time Mediate birdied 14 from a greenside bunker to seize the advantage.

Westwood, who had seen his nine-hole lead evaporate when he bogeyed three of the first four holes after the turn, also birdied 14 to stay in the chase, but his last birdie of the day proved to be too little, even after Woods and Mediate both bogeyed 15.

"It's sickening not to be in the playoff," Westwood said. "I could have played my way out of it completely after 10, 12, 13, but a lot of strange things happen the last few holes of major championships, as they did today. Made a good birdie at 14, and just failed to make birdie at the last. It's a bit disappointing."

Mediate missed a 10-footer for birdie at 17, and two-putted from 35 feet at 18.

"I was trying to beat him on my putt, my 35-footer," said Mediate, who tapped in for par. "I just didn't quite get it out there. But anyway, I made good putts on 16 and 17 just to be here."

Two of Woods's major triumphs have come in playoffs. He won the 2000 US PGA Championship with a three-hole playoff victory over Bob May, and he downed Chris DiMarco at the first hole of sudden death to win the 2005 Masters.

Monday will mark his first experience of the US Open 18-hole playoff, which will start at 9:00am (16:00 GMT).

"After I got the start off today it looked like I could play myself right out of the tournament. But I still have a chance tomorrow."

Woods dropped three shots in his first two holes with a double-bogey at the first and bogey at the second.

Mediate vaulted into the early lead with a birdie at the second, but said he knew all day that Woods could pounce at any time.

"Whatever he did on the first couple of holes, you never say he's done," said Mediate, who nonetheless toured the course with the same lighthearted demeanor he displayed in the earlier rounds. "You never count this man out."

Woods pulled off his birdie at 18 despite hitting his tee shot into a fairway bunker and his second shot into the rough.

On the tee, Woods said, he was thinking "Just put the ball in the fairway. I didn't do that. I laid up in the fairway to at least have a good number, I didn't do that.

"At least I gave myself a putt at it, and I happened to hole it."

Sweden's Robert Karlsson and American D.J. Trahan shared fourth place on two-over 286, Karlsson posting an even-par 71 and Trahan a 72.

Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 US Open champion, and two-time winner Ernie Els of South Africa hovered on the leaderboard briefly, but back-to-back bogeys at 16 and 17 saw Ogilvy finish tied for ninth at four-over and Els finished tied for 14th at five-over.

Maureen Orth (b. December 18) is an American reporter who largely covers stories pertaining to pop culture. Before beginning her career in journalism, she served in the Peace Corps in Medellín, Colombia, from 1964 to 1966. In 1983 she married political journalist Tim Russert. They had met each other at the 1976 Democratic National Convention. He died on June 13, 2008. They have a son, Luke, (b. 1986.)

Maureen Orth has been a special correspondent for Vanity Fair since 1993. She started writing for the magazine in 1988 and became a contributing editor in 1989. Among the heads of state she has interviewed are Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Argentinian President Carlos Menem, and Irish President Mary Robinson. She has also profiled controversial figures such as Denise and Marc Rich, Harrod’s Mohamed Al Fayed, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, and Gerry Adams, as well as fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and Madonna. Orth’s investigative story highlighting the role of Afghanistan’s illegal opium trade in funding terrorism has been lauded by the Office of Drug Control Policy. Her profile on murder suspect Andrew Cunanan for the September 1997 issue was the first in-depth report on the man who killed Gianni Versace. The article served as the basis for her book, Vulgar Favors (Delacorte Press, 1999). A film version of the story is also planned. Orth has also written investigative pieces regarding the allegations of sexual abuse by Michael Jackson and child abuse by Woody Allen.

Prior to joining Vanity Fair, Orth was contributing editor at Vogue from 1984 to 1989 and a columnist for New York Woman from 1986 to 1990. From 1983 to 1984 she was a network correspondent for NBC News. In 1981 she was the principal correspondent of Newsweek Woman on Lifetime cable TV. Prior to that, she was a senior editor for New York and New West magazines. Orth worked for Newsweek from 1973 to 1978, where she was the entertainment editor and the lifestyle editor, and wrote seven cover stories. While at Newsweek, she took a leave of absence to be Italian director Lina Wertmuller’s assistant on the film Seven Beauties. Orth has written for such publications as The Washington Post, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Esquire. She was nominated for a National Magazine Award in reporting for her article on Michael and Arianna Huffington, which appeared in the November 1994 issue of Vanity Fair. While at Newsweek, Orth won a National Magazine Award for group coverage of the arts.

Rocco Mediate has a two-shot lead halfway through the third round of the US Open at Torrey Pines.

While most of the other contenders are struggling, Mediate has been consistent, playing his front nine in one-under-par to take a two-stroke lead at three-under.

Rocco Mediate

Lee Westwood said on Friday he was prepared for a grind this weekend and he has been true to his word Saturday and is even through 11 holes and the only other player in red numbers at one-under.

Saturday was supposed to be all about Tiger Woods, especially after the way he tore up his final nine holes on Friday, playing them in 30 and putting himself one shot behind second-rounder leader Stuart Appleby, who was at three-under. But Woods got off to a slow start and Appleby imploded ely Saturday, leaving Mediate with the lead all to himself.

Mediate started the round tied with Woods and Robert Karlsson at two-under. He then birdied number two but dropped a shot at the next. He got back to three-under with a birdie at the fifth and just missed a birdie putt from about 15 feet at the par-five ninth. Appleby, who played in the final group of The Masters with Woods in 2007, played his first nine holes without a birdie, stumbling to four bogeys and a double-bogey at the fifth where he three-putted from four feet. He shot a 41 on the front and is at three-over for the championship.

Woods missed the fairway at number one for the third time this week, setting the tone for what has been an uneven round so far. On Friday, he caught a break, getting a good lie near a cart path and eventually making a birdie to kick-start a sizzling run. He was not as fortunate Saturday and two-putted for a double-bogey to drop to even-par and three strokes off the lead.

It has been feast or famine for Woods at the par-four first this week, including a double-bogey on Thursday. After a par at the second, Woods came up short with a 7-iron at the 189-yard, par-three third. He was able to get up-and-down for par but he ran into trouble again at number four, bogeying the hole after hitting his drive right into the deep rough.

Woods was three-over after four holes but got back to even-par with an 18-footer for birdie at number seven his first of the day. He set himself up for a great chance at the 612-yard par-five ninth, hitting his second just on the fringe in front of the green and looking at a putt to the front center hole location. His eagle putt was a touch too strong, burning the left edge, and he missed from four feet coming back and had to settle for a three-putt par. He was two-over through 10 and tied with Davis Love III and Geoff Ogilvy for third.

Sergio Garcia put together a solid 70 that featured three birdies, including one at 18 to get to three-over 216. Hunter Mahan was in the clubhouse at 215 after a 69.

Since judging people by their associations seems to be a recurring theme in this presidential campaign, I think it’s only fair to look at both candidates equally. An association that has come to light recently is that between John McCain and Clayton Williams.

ABC News is reporting this:

“Sen. John McCain on Friday abruptly cancelled a Monday fundraiser that had been scheduled at the home of a Texas oilman, after ABC News contacted the campaign inquiring about a verbal blunder the Texan made during an unsuccessful 1990 campaign for governor.”

For those who weren’t in Texas in 1990 or are too young to remember, Clayton Williams ran an unsuccessful campaign against Ann Richards here in that year. One of the major reasons he lost was a stupid attempt at humor he made during the campaign. When asked about his thoughts on rape, Mr .Williams said, “It’s like the weather, as long as it’s inevitable you might as well lie back and enjoy it.”

As it turns out, Mr. Williams is also a major fundraiser for Sen. McCain, having already raised more than $300,000. In an interview with the Midland Reporter-Telegram Williams said this:

“Much of the media, particularly the TV media, are to the left. To combat that we must have money to put our case to the people. We are way behind on [fundraising]. If Obama wins, it could move our country to the left, from which we will not recover.

Williams said that he needed to help McCain raise money to stop an Obama campaign that would enact “socialist” policies if elected to office.”

This was the response from a McCain campaign spokesman when asked about Mr. Williams’ statements:

“These were obviously incredibly offensive remarks that the campaign was unaware of at the time this event was scheduled,”

So the fundraiser has been cancelled, but what about the $300,000? Shouldn’t Sen. McCain return that money? Or at least donate it to groups who counsel rape victims? Shouldn’t the Obama campaign demand that Sen. McCain denounce and reject Mr.Williams as well?

As the old saying goes, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. It seems to me what’s good for the donkey should be good for the elephant as well.

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Hulk Hogan's estranged wife is asking a Florida judge to cite the wrestler for allegedly not paying his share of a $4.2 million Las Vegas condo.

Linda Bollea is asking that Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, be held in contempt of court and jailed until he pays. A court order requires them to share the purchase of the condo at The Palms hotel and spa.

Linda Bollea is asking that Hogan be jailed in Pinellas County. That's where the couple's son is serving an eight-month sentence after pleading no contest to causing a crash that seriously injured his friend.

An assistant for Hulk Hogan's lawyer says the attorney was out of the office and not immediately available.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. said Thursday morning that it had ousted CFO Erin Callan and president Joseph Gregory, the latest market crisis shake-up to claim senior executives on Wall Street. Lehman has seen its market value battered amid speculation over its liquidity and mounting losses in recent weeks, even going so far as releasing earnings details ahead of a scheduled June 16 second quarter earnings report in an attempt to quell investor unrest.

Callan has figured prominently in the media spotlight since assuming her role in December 2007, and will return to the firm’s investment banking unit, Lehman said in a press statement; she will be succeeded by co-chief accounting officer Ian Lowitt.

Gregory, a long-time Lehman exec, will be replaced by Herbert “Bart” McDade, head of the company’s worldwide equities business. McDade has been with the firm since 1983.

The move is the latest shake-up among a mortgage-bitten Wall Street, which has seen CEOs cast aside more than their fair share of senior executives in an attempt to restore investor confidence; Lehman CEO Richard Fulk, however, might want to see how weel that sort of strategy worked for former Bear Stearns & Cos. CEO James “Jimmy” Cayne.

Fuld characterized the decision to remove Gregory as “one of the most difficult decisions either of us has ever had to make.” He did not offer comments on Callan.

Earlier this week, Lehman said that it expects to report a $2.8 billion loss for the second quarter as mortgage losses mount and hedge effectiveness has proved to be problematic. The Wall Street firm raised $6 billion in fresh capital, and sources suggested to HW that the company’s new-found investors likely demanded that some heads roll as a result of most recent performance.

Shares in Lehman were off nearly 3 percent to $23.06 in heavy trading Thursday morning, when this story was published.

NEW YORK (AP) — It took four seasons, but a woman finally took the top spot on Bravo's "Top Chef."

Stephanie Izard, a 31-year-old, mild-mannered chef from Chicago, beat out 15 other contestants to win the popular reality show designed to test a cook's mettle.

Izard, a former restaurant owner with a fondness for seafood and pork, was among the last three contestants to make Wednesday's finale, along with Lisa Fernandes of New York and Richard Blais of Atlanta.

Going into the finale, Blais appeared to be the favorite, but it was Izard who impressed the judges in the end to capture the title and $100,000 that goes with it.

"I just made the best meal that night," Izard told The Associated Press. "It came down to who brought their A-game."

The last episode took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, following many culinary battles in Chicago.

The judges threw the trio a serious test. A four-course black-tie dinner for nine that had to include fish, poultry, red meat and dessert. The contestants did get a bit of help: each was paired with a big name New York restaurant chef.

Izard described the show — won in previous seasons by Harold Dieterle, Ilan Hall and Hung Huynh — as grueling, and said the pressure mounted with each cooking challenge, especially those that involved working with a team.

"It definitely took a lot to get to the finals," she said. "It's definitely one of the hardest things I've done."
On the Net:

A US marine has been expelled after he was filmed throwing a pup from a mountain into a ravine hundreds of feet below.

The animal is heard yelping as it falls to its death. Lance Corporal David Motari, the trooper in the video, also received an unspecified judicial punishment and has been separated from his comrades in the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.

The incident took place in Iraq and publication of the video on YouTube led to an outpouring of hate targeting Motari. A second marine, Sergeant Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion, who is thought to have been behind the video, has also been punished.

"That's mean," Encarnacion said as both men laughed. "That's mean, Motari."

The video was viewed tens of thousands of times before YouTube took it down because of a violation of the site's terms of use.

"The actions seen in the internet video are contrary to the high standards we expect of every marine and will not be tolerated," a spokesman said. "The vast majority of Marines conduct their duties with honour and compassion that makes American people proud."

In a war in which tens of thousands have died and millions have suffered, the level of outrage about the fate of an animal dismayed Mitch Ruth, a politician from Motari's home state of Washington.

"As unfortunate as this incident is, I still find it troublesome that there was far more outcry for this puppy than the fact that this marine was sent to war in another country," he said.

Celebrities are being seriously injured left and right on NBC's "Celebrity Circus," a reality show that follows famous participants as they learn to perform circus acts. According to the New York Post's Page Six, Stacey Dash cracked three ribs climbing "The Silks," a length of fabric suspended 30 feet in the air. NBC used the clip of Christopher Knight fracturing his forearm in the German Wheel as a promo for the show, which premieres tonight at 9:30. Not only did Olympic swimmer Janet Evans fall 15 feet from a trapeze during a rehearsal, she also got her fishnet stockings caught on her partner's top, causing a Janet Jackson-like wardrobe malfunction in front of the entire crew.

CHAPMAN, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say two people are dead in northern Kansas after tornadoes cut a diagonal path across the state.

A pickup truck lies in the wreckage of Cecelia Sanchez's home on Holmes Road southeast of Salina, Kan. on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 after at tornado moved through the area. (AP Photo/Salina Journal, Jeff Cooper)

Sharon Watson, spokeswoman for the Kansas Adjutant General's Department, says one victim was found in a yard in Chapman, in Dickinson County. She says the other was found outside a mobile home in the Jackson County town of Soldier.

The most extensive damage from the tornado outbreak Wednesday night appears to be in Chapman.

Watson says a half-mile-wide tornado tore through the town, destroying more than 60 homes and numerous businesses. All three schools have been damaged.

A tornado also hit the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan, damaging buildings and tossing cars.

The university says no injuries have been reported.

The powers that be at Blue Note Records must believe lightning can strike twice if the bolts are spread far enough apart. Priscilla Ahn, whose angelic voice can seduce, caress or just make a listener smile, displays many of the soft and gentle charms of Norah Jones, the songstress whose success led the label in a move away from strictly jazz performers. To commemorate the release of her debut "A Good Day," Ahn and a battalion of musicians who appear on the album went track by track just about letter perfect, with her giggly, surfer chick persona providing between-song laughs.

Joey Waronker, the drummer at Tuesday's show and the producer of her album, ensured that Ahn's voice would be captured within familiar surroundings, many of them lush with cellos and keyboards and few stark with the gentle nudge of bass and drums. In a small club such as Hotel Cafe, when a presentation is augmented by strings and an array of keyboards, the songs come to life in a way most singer-songwriters armed with just a guitar cannot pull off.

There are plenty of moments when the parts come together in a unique whole. "Wallflower," one of her no-frills tunes that works, allows her voice to soar; "Masters in China," written by Benji Hughes, a friend of a few of her bandmates, allows her to display formidable phrasing skills against a Jones-esque backdrop; and "Red Cape," a song she had tired of and was told by Blue Note to record, is the one song with the greatest commercial potential, a sweetly flavored return to the mid-90s swaying pop heyday of the Cranberries, Sundays and the La's.

In some cases, though, the presentation made Ahn's songs sound better than they are: "Lullaby," for example, is a metaphor-free song about a cop shooting her friend's dog back home in a small Pennsylvania town. "Astronaut" is about as basic a lyric as you'll find anywhere.

Jesse Harris, who wrote "Don't Know Why" for Norah Jones, and Lee Alexander, Jones' bass player, did a half-hour set that featured Harris plucking and strumming the banjo. Harris has released seven albums since 1999; his material performed Tuesday was subtle and uplifting, the highlight being "Without You," the title track of an album he recorded in a Brooklyn apartment five years ago.

Mark Wahlberg and model Rhea Durham have been together for years – and are proud parents to daughter Ella, 4, and son Michael, 2.

Now, as the couple expects baby number three, are they finally ready to walk down the aisle?

They haven't announced an engagement, but the actor did call Durham his "future wife" at the New York premiere of his new film, The Happening.

"I did my own thing for some 30-odd years," he told PEOPLE at the Tuesday night event. "I had a blast, and now I feel like I have a real purpose."

The actor dropped the "wife" word when discussing his 37th birthday on June 5. "I had a beautiful day with my kids and my future wife," he said. "We went to brunch."

As for the impending arrival, Wahlberg revealed that they're having a son, and that Durham, 29, is due in September. "We're thrilled!"

Is he worried about bringing a third baby into his already-hectic household? "For the most part, my kids are darlings," he said. "But at 5 a.m., it can be a little crazy."

His Happening costars certainly have no doubts about his parenting prowess.

"He's great with kids," said Zooey Deschanel, who plays his wife in the film. "Really, really good."

In fact, that's what made him perfect for the role (as a science teacher trying to survive a mysterious phenomenon). "When I see Mark Wahlberg, I see the sweet guy who likes to hold the baby," said director M. Night Shyamalan. "He brings humanity and vulnerability to the screen. In a crisis ... that's the guy you want with you."

NEW YORK (AP) — Susan Lyne has stepped down for undisclosed reasons after four years as chief executive of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. and the job is being split between two company executives.

The media company said Wednesday that Wenda Harris Millard, who is currently president of media at Martha Stewart, and Robin Marino, president of merchandising, would be co-CEOs.

Lyne, who is also stepping down as president, will remain a director and an adviser during an unspecified transition period. The company did not disclose a reason for her departure.

"While there is never a perfect time to depart, the company is on sound footing and we expect the transition to be very smooth," Lyne said in a statement.

Millard, who joined the company last July, was previously chief sales officer of Internet company Yahoo Inc.

Marino was president and operating chief of accessories maker Kate Spade until she joined the company in 2005.

Martha Stewart Living shares fell 21 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $7.77 in morning trading Wednesday. Its shares have traded in a 52-week range of $5.22 to $18.28.

Fox News has removed Edie Hill, or E.D. Hill, from their America's Pulse program after a remark she made that left her in very hot water.

Will Edie Hill be fired? As of right now, it seems she will stay "with the network in a capacity to be determined. Hill has been with FNC since 1998. She co-anchored Fox & Friends for several years before moving to the 11amET hour, then launching America's Pulse," according to Indecision2008.

E.D. (Edie) Hill was the host of America's Pulse in the afternoons of Monday through Friday. After she made a remark about a fist bump being a "terrorist fist jab", the host was yanked from the show - and now Laura Ingraham, who often fills in for Bill O'Reilly, will take her place at the 5 o'clock hour.

Martha MacCallum's 'The Live Desk' will also now be extended to fill E.D.'s place. The Live Desk will be two hours long and Martha will have a c-host - Trace Gallagher.

Video of the unexplained remark made by Edie Hill is here. Will she be fired over her slip-up? Do you think she should be?

(Best Syndication News) Miley Cyrus has a new boyfriend and his name is Marshall, a 22 year old back-up dancer. The gossip website perezhilton.com is reporting that the 15 year-old Cyrus has been spotted kissing and hugging her older boyfriend. Evidently this is the “older man” that her mother is trying to keep her from seeing.

Risqué pictures of the Hannah Montana star have spread throughout the Internet (see videos below). Miley’s mother recently took control of her out-of-control daughter. She banned her from the computer which she suspected her daughter of using to flirt with boys and “older men”.

It is possible that Cyrus was using the computer to send the pictures to her boyfriends. Evidently her mother wanted to put a stop to it. Star Magazine reported that a friend said “Miley is getting too big for her britches and had to be taken down a notch.”

Most people have heard of Miley’s Vanity Fair photoshoot, but not everyone has seen the other photos. Before the Vanity Fair photos, pictures of Cyrus lying across her boyfriends lap in a provocative posture were posted.

Around the time the first picture hit the Internet, another picture of Miley Cyrus pulling down her top exposing a green bra went viral. This was before the bare-back Vanity Fair shots.

After the public was informed of her Vanity Fair photos, pictures of her pulling up her T-Shirt exposing her stomach hit the Internet. She was holding her shirt up between her teeth in a provocative manner. In one picture it was speculated that she was not wearing any panties.

Maybe it is time that her mother reeled in the young Cyrus. A 22 year-old man is too old for the 15 year old. Pictures of her daughter in provocative poses are out in cyberspace. It is time her mother slowed things down a bit.

Williams syndrome (also Williams-Beuren syndrome) is a rare genetic disorder, occurring in about 1 in 7,500 live births. It is characterized by a distinctive, "elfin" facial appearance, along with a low nasal bridge; an unusually cheerful demeanor and ease with strangers, coupled with unpredictably occurring negative outbursts; mental retardation coupled with unusual (for persons who are diagnosed as mentally retarded) language skills; a love for music; and cardiovascular problems, such as supravalvular aortic stenosis and transient hypercalcaemia. The syndrome was first identified in 1961 by Dr. J. C. P. Williams of New Zealand.

Symptoms

Williams syndrome shares some similarities with autism (such as difficulty understanding the state of mind of conversational partners) and fetal alcohol syndrome (e.g., certain facial features, possible learning disabilities, and negative potential outbursts), although persons with Williams generally possess very good social skills, such that this condition is sometimes called "cocktail-party syndrome". There also appears to be a higher prevalence of left-handedness and left-eye dominance in those with Williams, and cases of absolute pitch appear to be significantly higher amongst those with the condition.

PASADENA ---- More than 10 years after young Stephanie Crowe was found stabbed to death, her family wants an appeals court to let them sue Escondido police for what the Crowes contend was a botched investigation that wrongly pinned the killing on Stephanie's teenage brother.

On Tuesday, four years after a federal trial judge dismissed their civil suit, the Crowe family sat in a federal courtroom in Pasadena as their attorney asked to have the suit reinstated.

A three-judge panel with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is reviewing the case in which the Crowe family sued almost everyone tied to the original investigation into Stephanie's slaying.

Among the points at issue: whether Escondido police and others tied to the criminal investigation are immune from the lawsuit, and whether their actions violated the constitutional rights of Stephanie's brother and his friends.

The interrogations of Stephanie's brother and friends have since become used in literature involving false confessions.

On Tuesday, Milt Silverman, the Crowe family attorney, argued to the appeals court that Escondido police violated a number of constitutional rights of Michael Crowe in their quest to solve the case.

"The purpose of an interrogation is not to secure a confession," Silverman said. "The purpose of an interrogation is to obtain the truth."

Steven Renick, the attorney representing Escondido police, argued to the panel that the law gives his clients immunity, that they are protected from being sued.

The panel of judges hammered Renick with questions about the nature of the interrogations. One judge asked if the tough interrogation tactics used on Michael Crowe was "standard operating procedure" when questioning juveniles.

As she listened to the judges question Renick, Stephanie's mother, Cheryl Crowe, nodded her head.

"It was nice for somebody in authority to put the question to them (Escondido)," she said after the hearing. "I just want them to acknowledge it shouldn't have been done."

Stephanie was 12 when she was found stabbed to death in January 1998.

Her family argues that Escondido police wrongly zeroed in on her then-teenage brother Michael, and coerced a false confession out of him after hours of hammering the distraught boy with questions on the day his sister's body was found. He soon recanted.

Michael Crowe, then 14, and two of his close friends were charged with murder, largely based on the self-damning statements. The judge in Michael Crowe's criminal case later found the confession had been coerced, but the case was still headed to trial.

But then, in 1999, charges against the three boys were dropped after DNA testing revealed Stephanie's blood was on the clothing of a mentally ill man seen in the Crowe neighborhood on the night of the slaying.

Escondido police turned over the investigation to the sheriff's department. The mentally ill man, Richard Tuite, was eventually convicted of killing Stephanie.

Even though Tuesday's arguments, set for 9 a.m. in Pasadena, made for an early morning commute north, a number of people tied to the case made the drive from San Diego County.

In the front row of the courtroom sat Aaron Houser and his mother. Houser was charged, along with Michael Crowe, with masterminding Stephanie's slaying. He is also fighting to have his civil suit reinstated.

Across the aisle, Stephanie Crowe's parents, Cheryl and Steve, sat in the front row, along with Stephanie's sister Shannon and brother Michael, as well as Michael's young wife.

Michael Crowe listened intently to the arguments.

Behind the Crowes sat the attorneys who successfully prosecuted Tuite four years ago, and the homicide investigator who led the probe after Escondido police handed it over to the San Diego Sheriff's Department.

"Justice is all I want” for the boys and their families, said the investigator, Victor Caloca, who has since retired.

Questions before the judges include whether it is a violation of constitutional rights to use coerced statements against a defendant during pretrial hearings. The law, said defense attorneys, prevents the use of such statements at trial, but the law is hazy as whether it is unconstitutional to use them in pretrial hearings.

Also at issue is whether the actions of police during the interrogations crossed the line, and thus violated the boys' constitutional rights.

The panel will issue its ruling at a later date. If it reinstates the case, it would head to a jury trial.

Case of Missing Colorado Woman Paige Birgfeld Baffles Investigators, Colorado authorities are baffled by the case of a missing mother of three and are investigating whether she may

(CBS) By all accounts, 34-year old Paige Birgfeld was a devoted mother to her three young children. So when she suddenly disappeared last June, police in Grand Junction, Colorado suspected foul play.

But while police and volunteers searched for the missing mother of three, disturbing evidence of a secret life she led shifted the investigation in a totally new direction.

Did that secret life-which Paige kept hidden from her family-play a role in her disappearance?

reported by CBS.

Paige Birgfeld: The Mysterious Disappearance of an Online Escort
For the last six months, police in Grand Junction, Colo., have been working to solve the disappearance of Paige Birgfeld, a 34-year-old mother of three, who was reported missing on June 30, 2007, following a meeting with her ex-husband, Ron Biegler.

According to statements Biegler made to police, he and Paige had several contacts over the previous month to discuss the possibility of rekindling their relationship. Biegler said that on the night of Paige’s disappearance, the couple had a brief rendezvous, and at 9 p.m., he spoke with her on her cell phone as she drove through the north suburbs of Grand Junction en route to her house.

On the night of July 1, firefighters were dispatched to a motor vehicle fire in the parking lot of Walker Products SMS, at 727 23 Road. After extinguishing the blaze, investigators with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department ran the vehicle’s license tag through their computer and identified it as a 2005 Ford Focus registered to Paige Birgfeld. The burned-out vehicle revealed few clues, and police were unable to locate any sign of Paige.

In the days that followed, a group of searchers walking along U.S. 50, south of Grand Junction, found over two dozen items belonging to Paige scattered along the median. Among them were her checkbook and a Blockbuster movie-rental card. An unloaded Ruger 9mm handgun was later found in the same area, but police have yet to comment on whether the gun is related to the case.

"Nothing during the course of our investigation has led us to believe that Paige walked away from her family or that she left of her own free will," Mesa County Sheriff Stan Hilkey said in a written statement to the media. "Unfortunately, we do suspect foul play in her disappearance and the subsequent arson of her vehicle."

To her close friends and family members Paige was a successful businesswoman who lived in a million-dollar home outside of town. Everyone believed she paid for her luxurious lifestyle through her business, Grand River Acupuncture, and her part-time job as a sales consultant for the Pampered Chef, a company that markets food products, cookbooks and kitchen utensils. However, as the case evolved, investigators discovered Paige did not hold a license to perform acupuncture and that the bulk of her income came from her career as an online escort.

In her now defunct profile at NaughtyNightlife.com, Paige went by the alias "Carrie" and described herself as a Grand Junction escort with 34D-24-35 measurements. She offered in-call and out-call services, which she described as "escort, erotic massage, private dancer, groups and parties," to men, women and couples alike.

"Beautiful body and face, nice hair and teeth," the profile read. "Sensual mannerisms with a fun attitude. Tired of chopped meat showing up when you ordered Filet Mignon? Affluent clients are lavishing in delightful sessions."

Clients were able to post reviews on the Web site, and a user identified only as "Dennis" did so on June 25, just five days before Paige’s reported disappearance: "Carrie is simply a very gorgeous woman," Dennis wrote. "Very well dressed, clean (which I appreciate greatly). A little bit pricey but she explained to me that is why she is where she is because of the going rate. If you have the money she is worth every dime."

The revelations of Paige’s secret double life came as a shock to those who knew her.

Born to Frank and Suzanne Birgfeld on April 27, 1973, Paige was active in extracurricular activities all throughout high school and later attended the University of Florida, where she studied nursing. In 1995, Paige moved back to Colorado, and that same year, she married Biegler. During this time, Paige began to supplement the couple’s income working as an exotic dancer at a local club.

In 1997, Paige and Biegler divorced, and within a year, she began dating Rob Dixon, a wealthy patron of the strip club. The couple soon married, and together, they purchased a home in Grand Junction. Despite having three children together, the marriage soon fell on hard times, and according to court records from 2005, Dixon was charged with assault and child abuse but later pled the charges down to harassment. The following year, the couple divorced, and Paige was granted custody of their children. Not long thereafter, Paige and Biegler began discussing the possibility of rekindling their relationship.

After discovering Paige’s secret life, investigators focused their investigation on 56-year-old Lester Ralph Jones, a man who was allegedly a client of Paige’s escort service. Jones lives approximately 12 miles from Paige's estate, and he is employed as a repairman at an RV repair shop across the street from where Paige’s burned-out car was discovered on July 1.

According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Jones has a previous criminal record that includes a five-year prison sentence for a conviction on charges of first-degree assault and second-degree attempted kidnapping.

Mesa County Sheriff’s investigators have conducted two searches of Jones’ home in recent months. However, the warrants remain sealed, and what, if anything, was found remains unknown.

Paige was last seen in a blue tube top and blue jeans, driving her 2005 Ford Focus. She is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. She has sandy blond hair and hazel eyes. Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to call the Mesa County Sheriff's Office at +1-970-244-3500.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Astronaut Garrett Reisman says he's in a bit of hot water with his wife, Simone Francis.

As he gets ready to rocket home from the international space station, he said she's the one thing he wants most to see back on Earth. He says she's furious he embarrassed her like that.

Reisman is now aboard the shuttle Discovery, ending his three-month stint on the international space station with a bear hug and a pat on the back for his replacement, Gregory Chamitoff .

The two swapped places this afternoon before a brief farewell ceremony between the two crews. The hatches between the two spacecraft have been locked.

Discovery will pull away from the station tomorrow. It's scheduled to land on Saturday.

Officials say seven Pascack Valley High School freshmen distributed racy photos of middle school girls on cell phones and school-issued laptops.

The ninth-grade boys are suspended for the rest of the school year.

Superintendent Benedict Tantillo III tells The Record of Bergen County more than 20 girls who are now in ninth grade were in the photos. Some pictures appeared to have been taken two or three years ago. Tantillo says the girls were seen from the waist up in various states of undress, typically with bare breasts.

A student who saw the photos on a laptop told a teacher and the administration called Hillsdale police.

Police are letting the school handle the incident.

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office gave the students a 48-hour grace period to delete the photos from their computers, cell phones and iPods.

Admit it, you've heard the rumors and thought they were probably true. Well, the buzz says Latifah may soon blow the doors off her closet, and in a wedding ensemble no less.

From aisledash.com:

From the We Sure Hope this is True files: rumor has it that Queen Latifah and Jeannette Jenkins are planning to get married, joining a long list of Hollywood celebrities rushing to tie the knot in the wake of California's legalization of gay marriage. Latifah has been notoriously tight-lipped about her relationship with Jenkins, who she has been dating for five years, and while Cele|bitchy speculates that this may be to protect her high-profile advertising deals, we like to think that the Queen is just a private person, and doesn't need to have her business all over the news.

Music mogul TIMBALAND is to wed his publicist girlfriend in Aruba on 19 June (08), according to new reports.

The acclaimed producer will exchange vows with Monique Idlett - his girlfriend of two years - in the south Caribbean region.

An insider tells America's Life + Style magazine, "Guests are being told to be prepared to fly to Aruba on that date."

Timbaland and Idlett have been engaged since last October (07) and have a seven month old daughter.