FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, December 15, 2005

OOPS! THEY DID IT AGAIN! A rep for Britney Spears denying tabloid reports that she and dancer hubby Kevin Federline are on the rocks and that the two were bickering over a "$125 million settlement" if their union ended. "[They] are as normal as other couples: They fight, and they make up. They are fine and happy," publicist Leslie Sloane told USA Today.

SLAVE 4 HER: Britney Spears once again topping Yahoo!'s annual list of the most searched for terms on the Internet.

MONKEYING AROUND: Opening day grosses for King Kong maxing out at the less than princely sum of $9.8 million on Wednesday.

PRYOR'S PET LOVE: A week before he died, Richard Pryor and his wife sending a letter to an Indiana County sheriff urging him to fully investigate a police officer who was placed on administrative leave after shooting his girlfriend's dog.

KEEP AWAY! CNN talk show host Nancy Grace getting a temporary restraining order against a mental patient whom she alleges has been stalking her.

BIG EXIT: Howard Stern's final broadcast on FM radio Friday being Webcast live via Yahoo!

BACKING UP BORAT: International media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders criticizing Kazakhstan for stepping over the line in its battle with Sacha Baron Cohen's alter-ego, Borat, and calling the nation's decision to shut down the satirical Website Borat.kz "censorship."

HURRICANE HELP: Elton John, Celine Dion and Jerry Seinfeld teaming up for a onetime performance Feb. 20 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas to benefit families affected by the Gulf Coast hurricanes.

PRETTY WOMAN: Julia Roberts tapped as the new face and figure of Italian designer Gianfranco Ferr�. Print ads will begin appearing around the globe outside of the U.S. starting in Feb.

WHAT A GIRL WANTS: Christina Aguilera telling Access Hollywood that her friends refer to her now as Mrs. B, after she tied the knot with music executive Jordan Bratman last month, and that she'll continue to use Aguilera as her stage name.

HOUSEWIVES IN THE ORIENT: ABC's Desperate Housewives making its debut in China on state-run CCTV 8 on Dec. 19.

NOT FASHIONABLE: Paris Hilton and Kimberly Stewart topping the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' Worst Dressed List because of their penchant for wearing fur.

OFF THE WALL: A proposed reality series featuring several of Michael Jackson's siblings, including LaToya, Jermaine and Tito, being shopped to networks by music producer Cory Rooney, per the Hollywood Reporter.

DANCING SWITCHEROO: Master P filling in for his son, Romeo, on the second season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars, dancing opposite Ashly Delgrosso.

BIG BIRD DIDN'T DO IT: Police clearing Caroll Spinney, the actor who plays Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street, of involvement in the death of a woman whose body was found on his Connecticut property. Instead, Spinney's caretaker has been charged with kidnapping in the case, and could face more serious charges.

DYSFUNCTIONAL CHRISTMAS: Bravo planning to air Being Bobby Brown: Christmas with the Browns on Dec. 21, a special half-hour episode featuring Bobby Brown and wife, Whitney Houston, doing a few of their favorite holiday things.

MUST BE THE ALTITUDE: The Aspen Comedy Arts Festival paying tribute to comic Garry Shandling for his work on The Larry Sanders Show, as well as Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam between March 8-12. Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion will also perform, as well as a Jim Henson puppet improv show.

FANTASTIC DEBUT: The Fantastic Four snagging the top spot in first-day DVD sales last Tuesday, selling 2.4 million copies. It was followed by The Dukes of Hazzard and Cinderella Man.

NEW AND IMPROVED: Google planning to debut on Thursday a new online search music section showcasing various artists and related material.

RENEWED: A&E ordering a third season of Dog the Bounty Hunter and a second helping of Inked and Criss Angel Mindfreak. The network, however, canceled Growing Up Gotti and Airline.

MUCHAS GRACIAS: Per the Hollywood Reporter, CBS planning to air next summer its own version of Latin America's Telenovela soap opera, in the form of a limited 13-week serial that will likely air twice a week, in an effort to tap into the lucrative Latino market.

NAME CHANGE: Infinity Broadcasting announcing it will rebrand itself and adopt its old moniker, CBS Radio, ahead of Viacom's upcoming split.