FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, June 27, 2005

CRUISING FOR A BRUISING: The American Psychiatric Association criticizing Tom Cruise for saying on NBC's Today show that psychiatry was a "pseudo science." "It is irresponsible for Mr. Cruise to use his movie publicity tour to promote his own ideological views and deter people with mental illness from getting the care they need," APA President Dr. Steven Sharfstein said in a statement.

JACKSON SPEAKS: Michael Jackson thanking his friends, family and God for their "love, support and loyalty" during his child-molestation trial in a statement posted on his official Website Sunday. "Your ever-present love held me, dried my tears and carried me through. I will treasure your devotion and support forever," the popster wrote.

SICK BAY: Fashion maven Steven Cojocaru having surgery to remove a transplanted kidney he received five months ago after it became infected.

RECOVERY ROOM: Grammy-winning musician Ralph Stanley undergoing successful heart bypass surgery Monday. The bluegrass pioneer is expected to make a full recovery.

PAGING MISS MANNERS: Former American Idol contestant Corey Clark cited for misdemeanor battery after getting into a food fight in a hotel room with his record company manager, Laura Kathleen Troy.

HOLLABACK TOUR: Gwen Stefani announcing her Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005 in support of Love. Angel. Music. Baby., kicking off Oct. 16 in Phoenix.

DETHRONED: The Mambo Kings canceling its Aug. 18 Broadway opening, the musical's producers announced Monday.

SIGNING OFF: The final episode of Queer As Folk airing Aug. 7 on Showtime.

PIRATES, BEWARE: The Supreme Court ruling Monday that Hollywood and the music industry can sue technology companies caught encouraging their customers to share movies and music over the Internet.

A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY: CMT agreeing to broadcast the Miss America Pageant through 2007, with options through 2011.

GET WELL SOON: Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis sending Kylie Minogue an invitation to appear at the next festival in 2007. Minogue was scheduled to headline this year's event, but was forced to withdraw after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

KUDOS: Hollywood celebrating George Clooney with a career retrospective Saturday at the Los Angeles Film Festival, while Don Cheadle, Virginia Madsen, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Allison Janney looked on.

READY FOR YOU: Warner Brothers acquiring remake rights to Japanese film Be With You, with Jennifer Garner starring and producing via her Vandalia Films company, per Daily Variety.

TOONING UP: Paul Giamatti signing with the Sci Fi Channel to voice the lead character in the pilot for the animated series Amazing Screw-On Head, per Daily Variety.

HOLY BOX OFFICE: Batman Begins leading the weekend movie rundown for the second week in a row, racking up an estimated $26.8 million. Bewitched finished in second with an estimated $20.2 million. Overall, the box office was down from last year for a record 18th weekend.

MOVING ON: Lil Jon looking to sever ties with his label, TVT Records, the New York Daily News reports.

FRIENDS OF OSCAR: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences inviting 112 Hollywood players to join, including actors Jamie Foxx, Will Ferrell, Gael García Bernal, Clive Owen, Thomas Haden Church, Sophie Okonedo and Catalina Sandino Moreno.

CHANNEL CHANGE: Logo, the new network for lesbians and gays, debuting Thursday in 10 million homes.

CODA: Music promoter Chet Helms, who launched Janis Joplin's career and helped create the 1967 Summer of Love in San Francisco, died Saturday at age 62.

REMEMBERED: Paul Winchell, an early TV pioneer and the voice of Winnie the Pooh's animated friend Tigger, died Friday at age 82.

ANOTHER LOSS FOR POOH CORNER: John Fiedler, who voiced Pooh's pal, Piglet, died Saturday at age 80.

DELIVERED: Former Law & Order Angie Harmon and her football-playing husband Jason Sehorn welcoming their second daughter, Avery Grace Sehorn, Wednesday in Dallas.

WRONG NUMBER: Fans of ABC's reality hit Dancing with the Stars mistakenly dialing a local 888 number instead of the correct digits for John O'Hurley, according to Michigan's Morning Sun. ABC investigating the potential mix-up.