FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, December 3, 2002

Tue., Dec. 3, 2002 5:45 PM PST by Josh Grossberg

COMING CLEAN: Whitney Houston admitting she's abused alcohol, marijuana and cocaine in her upcoming interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer. "My business is sex, drugs, rock and roll...I partied a lot," Houston says. The interview airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC's Primetime.

WHO'S BAD? Following his bizarre baby-dangling incident in Berlin, Michael Jackson due back on the witness stand today in Santa Maria, California, in a $21 million breach-of-contract lawsuit filed against him by a promoter for backing out of two Y2K concerts.

PLAY BY THE RULES: Robert De Niro coming aboard to star in Rule Number Three, a comedy-drama following an arrogant firearms tycoon who's given a serious lesson in humility by an accomplished assassin. The flick will likely shoot next year.

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN: The Sundance Film Festival announcing its 2003 slate. The diverse lineup of indie flicks includes the feature directing debuts of Salma Hayek and Matt Dillon.

QUITTING: Peter Garrett, environmental activist and bald imposing frontman of Aussie band Midnight Oil, leaving the group on good terms after more than two decades, the band announced on its Website Tuesday.

GRANDPA OZZY: Rocker-turned-TV dad Ozzy Osbourne is a grandfather after Isabelle Hobbs, his daughter by his first marriage, gave birth to baby daughter Jessica three months ago, his publicist confirmed. Ozzy isn't close with his 31-year-old daughter, who lives in London.

BREAK ON THROUGH: A Doors reunion tour featuring Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, Ian Astbury of the Cult filling in for late singer Jim Morrison and Police drummer Stewart Copeland postponed until January after Copeland broke his arm over the Thanksgiving holiday after falling off a bicycle.

HEADED FOR TRIAL: A judge on Monday setting June 30 as the trial date in the wrongful-death lawsuit against Robert Blake. However, the civil case, brought by the children of Blake's slain wife Bonny Lee Bakley, will be delayed if the actor's murder trial is still pending.

WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD: Paramount chief Sherry Lansing regaining the top spot on the Hollywood Reporter's annual list of the 100 most influential women in show business. In second was Universal chairman Stacey Snider.

STILL COOKING: King World Productions renewing Martha Stewart Living for another year for syndication despite a Security and Exchange Commission investigation into the domestic diva's allegedly fraudulent stock dealings.

IN GOD'S COUNTRY: U2 frontman Bono along with actress Ashley Judd speaking before a crowd of 2,000 students at the University of Iowa campus on Monday on halting the spread of AIDS in Africa. The stop was part of a seven-day, seven-city tour of the Midwest for an organization called Debt Aid, Trade for Africa.

THEY CAN BE HEROES: Marc Anthony, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick and legendary record executive Clive Davis among those chosen to be honored with a 2002 New York Heroes Award on December 11, the highest honor bestowed by the New York Recording Academy.

METAMORPHOSES: After scoring a hit with The Producers, Nathan Lane and acclaimed Broadway director Susan Stroman reteaming for a late January reading of Steven Sondheim's The Frogs at New York's Lincoln Center Theater.