FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, August 11, 2003

DAY OF RECKONING NEARS: Lawyers done presenting their cases in Tom Sizemore's criminal trial. The actor's accused of hitting former fiancée Heidi Fleiss and faces up to 13 years in prison if convicted. Closing arguments are slated to begin Tuesday at 10 a.m. PT.

REALITY BITES: Rocco's, the eatery featured on NBC's The Restaurant, has been cited with six health-code violations in the past week, according the Smoking Gun.

MOURNED: Tap-dancing great Gregory Hines, who won a Tony for Jelly's Last Jam, starred in his own sitcom and had a recurring role on Will & Grace died of cancer in Los Angeles Saturday. He was 57.

HOT S.W.A.T.: S.W.A.T., the action-packed update of the '70s TV cop series, took down the competition, barreling in as the new top movie this weekend with $37.1 million box-office gross, according to final studio figures Monday.

PAGING DR. CARTER? Noah Wyle taking a break from ER this season to spend more time with his wife and baby boy, reports TV Guide. The actor will appear in the first two episodes before taking some time off, possibly reappearing in November.

STRIPPED DOWN: Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera's Justified & Stripped tour postponed after a large aluminum lighting grid collapsed Saturday at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City where they were due to play the next day, injuring three workers and causing $1 million worth of damage.

GOD COMPLEX: Malaysian government gives Jim Carrey's Bruce Almighty the go-ahead despite objections from the religious affairs minister; the movie, rated 18 and over, will bow in early September.

BRIT IS IT: Warner Bros. confirming that Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) will helm the fourth installment of the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Shooting begins April 2004.

THE MIDTERMINATOR? Arnold Schwarzenegger turning in his paperwork Saturday that officially makes him a candidate in California's October 7 gubernatorial recall election. According to financial-disclosure documents released by the actor, he made $30 million in 2000 and $26 million in 2001, mostly from movie-related ventures, and paid more than $20 million in taxes during that span.

HE'LL BE BACK, EITHER WAY: The German producers behind Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines saying on Saturday there could be another sequel "with our without Arnold," even if he's elected, as long as they come up with a good story.

BUSTED: Snoop Dogg allegedly tempting two girls to flash his camera for Girls Gone Wild Doggy Style by offering them marijuana and Ecstasy, according to a Florida affidavit published on the Smoking Gun Website.

MOMMA'S HOME: Martin Lawrence signing on to reprise his role as Big Momma in an upcoming sequel to 2000's successful Big Momma's House, Fox confirmed to E! News Live Monday.

LIFE AFTER THE CREEK: James Van Der Beek considering a role in the upcoming drama Standing Still, described as a Big Chill for Gen Y, his publicist confirmed to E! News Live Monday. Actors already attached include Ryan Reynolds, Estella Warren and Michael Rapaport.

CHEW ON THIS: Elvis Presley's tooth, previously available for auction on eBay along with a lock of his hair and a gold record, will now be sold as a single item on the Web site to make it "more attainable" said a spokesman for the current owner.

SIN CITY: Jessica Simpson holding a launch party for her new CD, In This Skin, at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for 500 family, friends, radio contest winners and hubby Nick Lachey. The album hits stores August 19, the same day the couple's reality series, Newlyweds, bows on MTV.

IMITATED AND DUPLICATED: Showtime ordering six one-hour episodes of an American Idol-style contest for amateur rappers to air this fall, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Victory on Interscope Presents 'The Next' will be gauged by crowd reaction.

CALLING UP HIS FRIENDS: Grammy-winning composer and arranger Quincy Jones helping organize the Legends of Los Angeles Pop concert. The all-star show will take place in downtown L.A. with the new Disney Concert Hall as a backdrop. The city hopes 30,000 people with attend.

LIVIN' LA VIDA ORCHID: The Singapore Tourism Board paying tribute to pop star Ricky Martin by naming a yellow-and-crimson-spotted orchid after him.

KUDOS! John Mellencamp set to receive the Woody Guthrie Award at the Huntington's Disease Society of America's seventh annual Guthrie Awards dinner on October 2. Mellencamp is being honored for his music and charity work, including Farm Aid.

ROPED IN: Country music legends Floyd Cramer and Carl Smith tapped for induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame during the 37th annual CMA Awards, which will be broadcast on CBS on November 5.

BLAME CANADA: Ed Asner speaking out about runaway production at a panel on national cultural identity in Canada. Asner blamed the NAFTA trade agreement for the loss of entertainment jobs in Los Angeles.

PASSING: French director Jacques Deray, best known for helming classic thrillers and police movies starring actor Alain Delon, died at his home in a Paris suburb, his family said Sunday. He was 74.