FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, February 26, 2004

GOING TO THE CHAPEL... Rosie O'Donnell says she is going to San Francisco on Thursday to marry her longtime girlfriend Kelli Carpenter. "I am now and will forever be a total proponent of gay marriage," she told Good Morning America.

TIGERSHACK: Tiger Woods to spoof the movie Caddyshack in an upcoming American Express commercial. The ad will feature Woods battling the movie's gopher, and finally using his American Express card to hire an exterminator.

WIZARD WEALTH: J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, landing on Forbes magazine's annual list of billionaires with a net worth of $1 billion.

GUITAR GET-TOGETHER: Eric Clapton announcing a three-day Crossroads Guitar Festival June 4-6 in Dallas, featuring performances by Clapton, B.B. King and Carlos Santana among others.

WITH THIS RING: Bachelorette Meredith Phillips choosing Ian McKee over Matthew Hickl in Wednesday's final episode of The Bachelorette. McKee sealed the deal with a proposal, which Phillips accepted.

BENNIFER'S FICTIONAL WEDDING: Director Kevin Smith nixing a wedding scene between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in his upcoming Jersey Girl, reports Us Weekly. The filmmaker decided it would have been a major distraction since the pair never married in real life.

STERN WARNING: Clear Channel pulling Howard Stern's radio show off six radio stations Wednesday after an incident on Tuesday's show that the corporation deemed "vulgar, offensive and insulting." Says Stern, "They are so afraid of me and what this show represents."

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? Meanwhile, MTV deciding to air Britney Spears' racy video for "Toxic" around the clock again due to popular demand after relegating it to late night following Janet Jackson's stunt at the Super Bowl.

PASSION PAYDAY: Despite endless controversy, mixed reviews and the heart attack death of one woman in the audience, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ hauling in $23.6 million during its opening day Wednesday. That's the biggest debut for a religious-themed movie since Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments.

MOURNED: Carl Anderson, the actor and singer who shot to fame playing Judas on stage and in the movie version of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, has died of leukemia at age 58, his manager said on Wednesday.

STAY-AT-HOME PAM: Pamela Anderson telling E! News Live that she has retired from acting to spend more time with her kids. "I don't want to be an actress. I never did want to be an actress," Anderson said. "And actually it's been very fun and silly and the fact that I've done as much as I have is just fun. I have retired."

PAM ADD: Anderson debuted her new line of clothing in Las Vegas on Tuesday at the Magic Fashion Convention. The line features cruelty-free Ugg boots, lingerie, jewelry and T-shirts.

THE DEFENSE RESTS: Martha Stewart's defense attorneys rested their case Wednesday after calling just one witness to the stand, a lawyer who was with her when she first spoke to investigators about the sale of her ImClone stock. Jury deliberations are expected to begin next week.

ROCKING SIN CITY: We Will Rock You, the musical based on the music of Queen, coming to Las Vegas in September.

FOR THE KIDS: Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament set to climb Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro on Sunday to raise funds for the charity Save The Children.

KUDOS: Jack Valenti set to receive the American Film Institute's Charleton Heston Award honoring individuals who've made outstanding contributions to the film and television communities and to AFI.

TUMBLE FOR YA: The BBC reporting that Boy George has agreed to pay a London nightclub employee $18,000 for hitting him and then insulting him too.

BIG GET: Barbara Walters snagging an exclusive interview with Shrek. The green ogre will appear on Walters' Oscar special Sunday night.

CAN YOU SAY SORE LOSER? 50 Cent telling Much Music that he plans to boycott the Grammys after failing to pick up best new artist. The rapper accused the Grammy folks of shafting him because they think his music's too violent.

BYE-BYE: American Idol contestant Donnie Williams booted off the show after being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in Northern California on Monday.

CULTURE CLUBBED: The BBC reports Boy George has agreed to pay a London nightclub employee $18,000 for hitting him and then insulting him.

ALL THAT GLITTERS: Mariah Carey taking her world tour to the Middle East with a concert before thousands of cheering fans in Beirut on Tuesday night. She's next slated to play Dubai.

OSCAR AND THE ENVIRONMENT: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Charlize Theron, Robin Williams and Jack Black among a handful of stars opting to arrive at Sunday's Oscars in hybrid cars instead of stretch limos to promote the use of environmentally-friendly vehicles powered by both gasoline and electricity.

WHOLE LOTTA LOVE: Chloë Sevigny set to costar in HBO's drama pilot Big Love playing one of a polygamist's three wives. The project starts shooting in April.

OUT TO GET HIM: Rocker Justin Hawkins, frontman for The Darkness, receiving death threats after the group collected three Brit Music Awards last week, a spokesman for the group confirmed.

FOR BABS: Sony Pictures renaming a soundstage on its studio lot after singer Barbra Streisand. The stage was used to record the scores of such classics as The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind.

MORE RULES: ABC ordering extra episodes of comedies 8 Simple Rules, According to Jim, My Wife and Kids, Hope & Faith and Less Than Perfect.

STILL WILD: The Lifetime network reupping for a second season of Wild Card, starring Joely Fisher as an insurance investigator, one of two original drama series airing on Sunday night.