FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, March 24, 2004

BACK IN THE SLAMMER: A judge sentencing Bobby Brown to 90 days in a Massachusetts prison or until such time as can make $63,000 in child support payments owed the mother of two children he fathered. Brown weeping as he left the courtroom.

CHECKING OUT: Whitney Houston leaving rehab Saturday afternoon after just five days, per the New York Daily News. She's reportedly holed up in a rental near her Atlanta home and wasn't expected to be at Bobby Brown's side at his paternity hearing in Boston today.

RECOVERING: Aretha Franklin being released from the hospital Wednesday, five days after being admitted following an allergic reaction to antibiotics. The singer, who suffers from hypertension, is said to be doing well and isn't expected to suffer any long-term effects. Franklin turns 62 tomorrow.

COUNTRY CROWD: Toby Keith leading Country Music Television's Flameworthy Video Music Award nominations with four nods. Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts and Alan Jackson picked up three nominations apiece.

TOURING: Van Halen planning a summer tour but have yet to announce who their lead singer will be. Speculations point to Sammy Hagar.

PAID INTERNSHIP: Ross Matthews, better known as "Ross the Intern" of the Tonight Show, tapped by Bravo for new comedy series titled The Ross Show!

PICTURE PERFECT: Tyra Banks crowning Yoanna House as the winner of America's Next Top Model Tuesday night.

BACK IN THE ZONE: Britney Spears resumed her Onyx Hotel Tour Tuesday night in Atlanta. Last week's postponed shows have been rescheduled for Apr. 13 in Chicago and Apr. 14 in Detroit.

TEAM PLAYER: Prince, long an opponent of the major music labels, signing with Sony's Columbia Records.

BIG APPLE BITE: Providence's Melina Kanakaredes cast as the female lead in CSI: New York opposite Gary Sinise.

DIAMOND DAVE: David Lee Roth making a brief cameo in this Sunday's episode of The Sopranos at a card game with Tony.

STAR MAKER: E! Entertainment Television (the corporate sibling of E! Online) is partnering with the producers of Fear Factor on a reality series in which contestants re-create memorable stunts and scenes from the movies and TV, reports Variety.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Frank Darabont (The Green Mile) penning the script for Mission Impossible 3. He'll take over for Robert Towne, who wrote the first two installments.

FROM THE HEART: Halle Berry kicking off a public service campaign called "Diabetes Aware" to inform Americans about the importance of diabetes detection, monitoring and proper care.

NOTHING COMES BETWEEN THEM: Calvin Klein tapping Hilary Swank as the new face of his "Sensual Support" lingerie line. The undies ad campaign kicks off this fall.

THE ANTI-PASSION Monty Python's Life of Brian getting a re-release next month in New York and Los Angeles to mark the movie's 25th anniversary. The comedy features Brian of Nazareth, the poor bloke who's always being mistaken for Jesus.

JACKSON WATCH: Grand jury candidates for Michael Jackson's child molestation case will assemble Thursday in Santa Barbara County. District Attorney Tom Sneddon will reportedly try to prove that Jackson has a "pattern of seduction," based on complaints from his current accuser and his original accuser back in the '90s.

ON THE OFFENSIVE: Michael Jackson seeking more than $10 million from a man he says is selling Jackson family memorabilia and exploiting his fame. The entertainer filed a federal lawsuit Monday.

JACKO ADD: Attorneys for Universal Music Group asking a judge to toss a lawsuit filed by Michael Jackson over Motown royalties.

TWISTED TAKE: Roman Polanski says he plans to make a film based on Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. The Oscar-winning director lives abroad and faces arrest if he ever returns to the United States due to charges of having sex with a minor in 1977.

WRIST SLAP: Busta Rhymes receiving six months' probation after pleading no contest to a charge that he assaulted a woman during a concert after she allegedly touched his chin. Rhymes also filed a counter assault charge against the woman--she's due to appear in court Wednesday.

SHOW MUST GO ON: Scott Weiland to be released from live-in rehab for nine hours on Apr. 4 to work on a video. The rocker will be tested for drugs upon his release and again upon his return. He has 30 more days in the rehab program, followed by 90 days in a live-in "sober lifestyle program."

GODFATHER ON TRIAL: James Brown to face jury trial in connection with charges that he assaulted his wife. Brown and his wife have since reconciled, according to his attorney.

HIGH PRICE OF FILM: Jack Valenti, head of the Motion Picture Association of America, announcing that the cost of big Hollywood movies skyrocketed 15 percent in 2003, with the seven biggest studios spending an average of $102 million to make and market their films.