Celebs Who Carry a Big Stick

Talk show maven edges out Tiger, Jolie

(NEWSER) - Forbes ranks the 100 most powerful celebs of 2008 (complete with tweens), and Oprah leads the pack for the second year running. Stars are judged on the size of their paychecks and media clout, including their showing on the Internet. Here's how the A-listers stacked up:

1. Oprah Winfrey
2. Tiger Woods
3. Angelina Jolie
4. Beyonce Knowles
5. David Beckham

Merle Haggard, Jerry Herman, Bill T. Jones also feted

(NEWSER) - Oprah Winfrey and Paul McCartney were among the latest group of celebs to receive Kennedy Center Honors in a star-filled night that included tributes from Julia Roberts and John Travolta, among others. Merle Haggard, Broadway composer Jerry Herman, and dancer Bill T. Jones were also honored, as they sat with the president, first lady, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. CBS will broadcast the ceremony Dec. 28, the AP reports. More»

It happened long before 'The Incident,' he says

(NEWSER) - Oprah Winfrey ’s longstanding, recently-ended feud with David Letterman was, everyone assumed, the result of his numerous “Oprah, Uma. Uma, Oprah” jokes at the 1995 Academy Awards. Not so, Letterman told Jon Stewart last night: “She hated me long before then.” Turns out the Late Show host pulled a dine and dash when he found himself eating lunch at the same restaurant as Winfrey on an island vacation, convincing the waiter the two knew each other and Winfrey had agreed to pay for his meal. More»

O'Donnell also talks Kelli Carpenter, and whether Oprah Winfrey is gay

(NEWSER) - Rosie O'Donnell finally discussed her relationship problems on yesterday's The Howard Stern Show, but let's just skip right to the best part of the interview: Rosie's almost-date with Angelina Jolie. "She gave me her phone number," O'Donnell says. "There was a tentative plan to have dinner that never came through. I was a little afraid of her. She’s scary in a sexual kind of way. I have dreams about her a lot still." More»

(NEWSER) - Angelina Jolie has dethroned Oprah as the world's most powerful celebrity, says Forbes in its annual top 100 list. Oprah may make more money, but Jolie's constant media buzz and string of blockbusters give her the edge. Here's the top 10:

1. Angelina Jolie
2. Oprah
3. Madonna
4. Beyoncé
5. Tiger Woods