Brit's Paparazzo Ex Served With Restraining Order

Four years after meltdown, Britney ready to regain her life

(NEWSER) - Four years after Britney Spears spiraled out of control, her father is happy with her progress and wants to end his control over her finances and life this year, perhaps as early as February, reports the Daily Mail . Jamie Spears was named conservator in 2008 , after the singer suffered from very high-profile meltdowns. But now, with her life back on track and engaged to be married for the third time , Britney's father thinks it is time she resumes control over her life. More»

Man threatens to 'take out' mayor

(NEWSER) - A man who threatened to "take out" Antonio Villaraigosa and says he's communicating with the Los Angeles mayor through his TV has been ordered to stay 100 yards away from the mayor and City Hall, according to court documents obtained by TMZ . Prosecutors have declined to press charges against Daniel James Molnar—who also claims to be an A-list actor and a CIA operative—for making criminal threats. More»

Bruce Springsteen finishes 2nd to Irish superstars, and it's not even close

(NEWSER) - The news that U2 was the top moneymaker in music in 2009 is no surprise, but what may come as a bit of a shock is the gap between No. 1 and No. 2. The Irish rockers brought in $108.6 million lat year, nearly twice as much as runner-up Bruce Springsteen's $57.5 million. Extending the greatest hits of the '80s theme, the next two acts in the Billboard rankings are Madonna and AC/DC, with Britney Spears somewhat unexpectedly rounding out the top 5. More»

What will we still be talking about next decade? Britney, for one

(NEWSER) - The ‘00s were full of important contributions to culture, but which ones will we still be talking about in another decade? Here are some of New York ’s picks:

• TV: The Sopranos for inventing quality cable, American Idol for changing the music industry, and of course all things Oprah Winfrey.
• Books: The Da Vinci Code for singlehandedly sustaining the book industry, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay for blazing the trail of combining geek lit with high lit.

He even tried gluing it on, to no avail

(NEWSER) - Of all the people damaged by the OJ Simpson trial, Lance Ito’s tale is perhaps the saddest—err, most mundane. The poor presiding judge’s name became so famous that the placard announcing him outside his courtroom was repeatedly pilfered over the years. He tried everything, the Los Angeles Times reports—even glue—but each new iteration would disappear all over again. So now he doesn’t have one. There is no investigation. More»