FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, October 22, 2004

BEAUTIFUL DAY: Bono announcing that a briefcase containing notes and lyrics for U2's 1981 album, October, has been returned, 23 years after it was stolen at a concert in Portland, Oregon.

REPRESENTING: Aerosmith frontman and Boston native Steven Tyler set to sing "The Star Spangled Banner" to open the World Series Saturday night at Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.

MULTI-TALENTED: Members of the Red Sox, including Johnny Damon and Mark Bellhorn, joined Boston-based band Godsmack onstage at a private party in Boston Thursday night and sang along with the band's finale, "I Stand Alone."

ALMOST ILLEGAL: Rod Stewart in court in Los Angeles Friday for jury selection in a trial brought against him by three concert promoters, who claim the rocker failed to return a $780,000 deposit after canceling tour dates in Mexico and South America.

IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE, IT'S... Brandon Routh, a relatively unknown actor, has been cast in the role of Superman in the next film featuring the caped hero, Warner Brothers confirmed Friday. The film is due for release in summer 2006.

KEEPING HIS CAUSE ALIVE: Proponents of Yes on Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, launching an ad featuring the late Christopher Reeve urging voters to support the initiative. Reeve, paralyzed in a 1995 riding accident, was a strong advocate for spinal cord injury research.

MATERIAL 'TOON: Madonna to head up the voice cast of upcoming big-budget animated film Arthur, based on children's books written by French filmmaker Luc Besson, who's set to direct, per the Hollywood Reporter.

CHAPPELLE'S SALES: The double-disc DVD of Dave Chappelle's Chappelle's Show Season One: Uncensored selling 2 million copies and breaking the previous record for a television series held by The Simpsons: The Complete First Season, which sold 1.9 million copies, according to Nielsen VideoScan. Under his new contract, Chappelle reportedly receives one-half of the revenue from all DVD sales.

CONGRATS: Julieta Venegas taking home three awards at the MTV Video Music Awards Latinoamerica Thursday night, including Artist of the Year for her breakthrough album, Si.

KUDOS: Stevie Wonder set to receive the Century Award at the 2004 Billboard Music Awards Dec. 8 in Las Vegas. The award is Billboard magazine's highest accolade.

TOE DOWN: Blues singer Bo Diddley canceling a California performance because he needs more time to recover from a toe amputation. Diddley was hospitalized two weeks ago because of a hyperglycemic condition.

GAB FEST: Fashion aficionado and Entertainment Tonight correspondent Steven Cojocaru shooting a pilot for a one-hour talk show, featuring his trademark over-the-top commentary on pop culture and style, per the Hollywood Reporter.

SETTLEMENT FACTOR: Lawyers for Bill O'Reilly and his accuser, Andrea Mackris, currently in talks regarding a settlement, according to the AP. According to the Drudge Report, Mackris may need the money; the Website claimed to have documents showing that Mackris in $100,000 in debt.

YOU'RE FIRED: Donald Trump giving 26-year-old attorney Stacy the boot on Thursday's episode of The Apprentice.

OFF THE ISLAND: Yasur tribe member Lisa voted out on Thursday's episode of Survivor: Vanuatu.

BIG DEAL: Chris Noth set to reprise his role as Det. Mike Logan in a series of Law & Order television movies for NBC, per Daily Variety. Noth's last Law & Order telepic, 1998's Exiled, drew 28 million viewers.

BAY WATCHED: Former Baywatch star Michael Bergin due in court in Los Angeles Friday for a preliminary hearing on drunk-driving charges, stemming from a July incident when he allegedly hit a Rollerblader.

MARTHA WATCH: Martha Stewart's appeal was filed Thursday in a New York court. Her lawyers, in an 87-page document filed with the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals, argued that the celebrity homemaker received an unfair trial for a number of reasons, including misconduct by the prosecution.

JOLIE TO ADOPT AGAIN? Reports out of Moscow suggest Angelina Jolie has been doing some baby shopping at several Russian orphanages over the last few weeks. Fashion Wire Daily reports that Jolie may have already chosen a seven-month-old boy named Gleb. The Tomb Raider star adopted a Cambodian child in 2002.

TRY AGAIN: Rush Limbaugh appealing a Florida court ruling that granted prosecutors permission to investigate his medical records while investigating his use of prescription painkillers. The right-wing commentator claimed the search violated his privacy. He has not been charged with a crime.

BLAKE UPDATE: A Los Angeles judge dismissing a petition by Robert Blake's attorney to introduce a theory that Marlon Brando's son Christian was really behind the murder of Blake's wife.