FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, April 2, 2002

IN OTHER LEGAL NEWS... Kathie Lee Gifford and her husband, Frank, have settled their libel suit against the National Enquirer over an article that claimed their son, Cody, was a "monster." Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, however, the paper printed a retraction last year.

REST IN PEACE: Dudley Moore was buried Tuesday in a small, private ceremony in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. The comic-actor-musician died last week at the age of 66.

UNCOVERED: Former NYPD Blue star David Caruso tapped to star in C.S.I.: Miami, a spinoff of CBS' hit crime drama set in Florida. Caruso's character will be introduced later this season.

EVACUATED: Fox canceling its new Monday night drama The American Embassy after just four episodes. UPN, meanwhile, axed its repeats of The Amazing Race 2 after three airings, as well as its new reality show, Under One Roof.

SOCK IT TO THEM: Laugh-In ringmasters Dick Martin and the late Dan Rowan received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame Tuesday. Martin was joined by cast members Arte Johnson, Ruth Buzzi and Jo Anne Worley for the unveiling.

MORE DUNE: Susan Sarandon joining the ensemble cast of Children of Dune. She'll play a ruthless princess in the Sci-Fi Channel's six-hour miniseries sequel to its Emmy-winning Frank Herbert's Dune.

FULL-COURT PRESS: CBS pulling in 23.7 million viewers for its coverage of Monday's NCAA Championship basketball game between Maryland and Indiana. The audience was nearly unchanged from last year's Duke-Arizona final.

IT'S ABOUT TIME: MSNBC reportedly in discussions to bring retired talk-show host Phil Donahue back to the tube to host his own prime-time news hour.

RATHER LUCKY: CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather nearby when a suicide car bomb went off in Jerusalem Monday, killing the attacker and a police officer. Neither Rather nor his two producers was hurt.

SONY'S SECRET: The Hollywood Reporter reporting that Sony's new animated Adam Sandler comedy 8 Crazy Nights will break new ground in product placement. The film is set primarily in a shopping mall, and the studio is offering retailers verbal mentions in the movie in exchange for promotion of the film.

BACK TO THE BEACH: David Hasselhoff saying he hopes to begin work this summer on Baywatch: The Reunion, a two-hour TV movie that would reunite the more than 20 actors who've been on the show throughout its long run. The special may air in November, just in time for sweeps.

MOURNED: Diana Streisand Kind, the mother of Barbra Streisand, died Saturday at a Los Angeles hospital, of complications from an accident she suffered at her home last November. She was 93.

ICONS: Former Aerosmith video star Alicia Silverstone joining Kid Rock, Pink and Train to pay tribute to the legendary Boston rock band for an MTV Icon special airing April 17 on the network.

ANALYSIS: The National Transportation Safety Board concluding that pilot error and blizzard conditions were to blame for the 2000 crash-landing of a plane in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, containing Sandra Bullock. Bullock suffered only slight whiplash from the accident.

HEADED FOR COURT: Pretrial hearings set to begin on April 22 on second-degree robbery charges against Sopranos' son Robert Iler and another youth accused of swiping $40 from a pair of teenage tourists. A tentative trial date is scheduled for May 6.

ILER ADD: Sopranos star James Gandolfini writing a letter to Iler's judge praising his young costar, saying "the conduct attributed to Robert in the press is contrary to the fine character that he has exhibited in other aspects of his life."

IN OTHER SOPRANOS NEWS: Gandolfini lending his voice to the new DreamWorks animated project Sharkslayer. The film, described as an "underwater Mob film," will also feature the voices of Will Smith, Angelina Jolie and Renée Zellweger.

TICKET TO RIDE: Paul McCartney launching his North American Driving USA tour in Oakland Monday night. The trek will eventually hit 19 cities and continue through May 18.

YEE HAW! Weezer heading out on a 10-date Dusty West '02 tour, scheduled to kick off April 23 in Edmonton, Alberta. They'll wrap things up with a swing through Japan starting May 16.

TRIBUTE: The Village Voice releasing Love Songs for New York, a compilation of 18 songs with proceeds going to the September 11 Fund. Artists on the album include Moby, Cornershop and the Mekons.