FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, September 17, 2004

MORE JACKSON ACTION: Fans cheered for the embattled pop star and held up signs of support as Jackson and members of his family arrived at the Santa Barbara County courthouse Friday.

BUSTED! Former child star Macaulay Culkin was arrested on marijuana charges and posession of Xanax without a prescription Friday in Oklahoma City. The actor was taken into custody, then released shortly after 7 p.m., according to the Oklahoma County Sheriff's office.

KABBALAH BRAWL: Two of Madonna's bodyguards arrested after a scuffle with photographers waiting outside the Material Girl's Tel Aviv hotel. Two photographers and a policeman who tried to break up the fight were reportedly injured. The singer has been in Israel since Wednesday to celebrate the Jewish New Year.

JAILED FOR CLAWS: An allegedly intoxicated Edward Furlong arrested in a Florence, Kentucky supermarket for causing a scene by removing lobsters from the store's tank after he was asked not to. Furlong, in town shooting a movie, cooled his heels in jail for several hours before making bail.

PAYCUT: Officials at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announcing that Martha Stewart's $75,000 a month salary will be cut off effective the day she enters prison. The domestic diva will remain a majority shareholder in the company and will be permitted to keep the $500,000 bonus she received after her conviction in March.

JAMES AUTOPSY: Los Angeles coroner's office reporting Rick James' Aug. 6 death due to a heart attack brought on by at least nine drugs in his system, including crystal meth and cocaine.

IT'S A GO: Per Daily Variety, the WB greenlighting six episodes of a top-secret dating and makeover show helmed by Punk'd cocreators Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg.

SICK BAY: George Michael pulling out of a breast-cancer awareness concert organized by ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell due to a bout of laryngitis.

CASH FLOW: A three-day auction of items belonging to the late Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash netting almost $4 million dollars, more than twice the amount expected. A 1986 Grammy sold for $187,200; a custom guitar used by Cash on tour drew $131,200.

IN COURT: Former Baywatch star Michael Bergin was in court Friday to be arraigned on a felony charge of drunk driving and causing injury.

ANOTHER RAMONE LOST: Johnny Ramone, guitarist and cofounder of the New York punk band the Ramones, died Wednesday in Los Angeles after fighting prostate cancer for years. He was 55. The band's singer, Joey Ramone, departed just three years ago from cancer, while bassist Dee Dee Ramone died from a drug overdose in 2002.

REMEMBERING JOHNNY: Surviving band member Marky Ramone paying tribute to Johnny in a statement released Thursday. "I always admired his guitar playing," he said. "His legacy will live on in every band that has, is and always will be trying to duplicate the Ramones sound."

THEIR PREROGATIVE: Per the Hollywood Reporter, Bravo cable network ordering 10 one-hour episodes of Being Bobby Brown, a new reality series following the R&B star as he tries to get clean and revive his career. Whitney Houston and her children with Bobby Brown will also appear.

NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED: Also per the Reporter, Abkco Records set to release The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, a little-seen 1968 concert film, on DVD Oct. 12. To promote the release, over 50 theatrical showings will be held the night before at Regal Entertainment screens across the country.

YOU'RE SUED! Velocity Entertainment Group, a small L.A.-based production company, suing Mark Burnett and the other producers of NBC's The Apprentice in federal court, claiming they swiped their idea for the reality series. The Peacock had no comment on the suit.

ENCORE APPEARANCE: TNT planning to air reruns of CBS' hit missing-persons series, Without a Trace, beginning on Sept. 27.

PREGGERS! Wilson Phillips singer Carnie Wilson and musician hubby Rob Bonfiglio expecting their first child, Entertainment Tonight reports. No word on a due date.

STORK WATCH: TV anchor Joan Lunden announcing she and hubby Jeff Konigsberg are expecting a second set of twins in early March via a surrogate.

IMAGINE THIS: Imagine, a musical about the life of the late John Lennon, will make its Broadway premiere next summer, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of his murder, according to Variety. The show will feature such songs as "Imagine," "Instant Karma," "Give Peace a Chance" and "Whatever Gets You Through the Night."

ROY IS OKAY: Illusionist Roy Horn, of Siegfried & Roy fame, remains partially paralyzed following a stroke he suffered immediately following his infamous on-stage mauling last year. In an interview with Maria Shriver Wednesday night, Horn said he fainted on stage during the fateful performance and that the tiger was only trying to help him by dragging him off stage.

ROY'S VIEWS ON CATS NOT OKAY: Meanwhile, animal-rights group PETA drew attention to NBC's Wednesday night special Siegfried & Roy: The Miracle Friday in New York by protesting outside of NBC's headquarters. The group claims the show was biased in favor of animal trainers like Horn.

HONORED: Warren Beatty and Elton John among six entertainers to receive the annual Kennedy Center Honors in a ceremony set to take place Dec. 5.

ON THE BEAT: Actor Traylor Howard tapped to become a series regular, replacing Bitty Schram as Tony Shalhoub's sidekick in USA's Monk. Schram exited the series last month after two-and-a-half years.