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50 CENT: RAPPER SETTLES LAWSUIT OVER HOUSE HE BOUGHT FROM MIKE TYSON HARTFORD, Connecticut (AP) 50 Cent has settled his legal beef with a company over the house he bought from boxer Mike Tyson. A court official in Hartford, Conn., says the rapper and the company agreed to make the case go away. But the court clerk who provided the information said the details of the settlement weren't released. Fiddy had sued BVH Integrated Services, claiming that he paid too much for repairs and renovations to the mansion that he bought from Tyson back in 2003. The rapper claimed BVH estimated the fix-up would cost about a half-million dollars, but the rapper ended up spending $6 million. The rapper claims about $3 million of that was spent on repairs that should have been part of the work in the original estimate. The company claims 50 Cent wanted what it calls "extravagant and costly upgrades." The home was the one featured in the MTV show "Cribs." It has 19-bedrooms and 37 bathrooms, as well as a recording studio and nightclub, complete with a swing dangling from the ceiling. Fiddy put the mansion up for sale in 2007, but there were no buyers. The house is no longer on the market.

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00:16 "fron the ceiling" Oscar Wells Gabriel AP Correspondent Oscar Wells Gabriel reports the house 50 Cent owned in Connecticut could rightfully be called a mansion.



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00:31 "" Oscar Wells Gabriel There's been a settlement in a lawsuit between 50 Cent and a company over a mansion he bought. AP Correspondent Oscar Wells Gabriel has the story.



TONI BRAXTON: ENTERTAINER IN "PHONY TONI" CASE FREED PARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) We're a step closer to closure in the "Phony Toni" case out of Suriname. A judge has released the Las Vegas-based entertainer who had been accused of posing as Toni Braxton at a concert earlier this year. Prosecutors had asked that Trina Johnson-Finn serve a one-year sentence with nine months of it suspended. That means even if she gets the max, she'd have already done her time. The audience that attended the February event had their own "sentence" for the singer. Many of the 3,000 threw bottles and beer cans when it became clear she wasn't the real Toni Braxton. A concert promoter has said Johnson-Finn wasn't directly involved in the scheme. But prosecutors disagree. They says she could have refused to come on stage when Toni Braxton's name was announced, but didn't. Meanwhile, concert promoter Angel Ventura and his girlfriend are to stand trial in the case next month.

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00:48 "" Excerpt of Toni Braxton Here's a bit of Toni Braxton, performing "You Mean The World To Me"

BLACK EYED PEAS: JOINS CBS TO HELP PROMOTE FALL LINEUP OF SHOWS NEW YORK (AP) Can an upcoming Black Eyed Peas hit bring about some hit shows for CBS. That's what the network is hoping for these days. They have hooked up with the Peas for an ad campaign to promote their fall TV lineup. They plan to use the group's "I Gotta Feeling" as part of a summer-long promotional campaign for the new lineup. The single is featured on the group's album, which is due in stores tomorrow.

QUEEN LATIFAH/NAUGHTY BY NATURE: EX-ATTORNEY PLEADS NOT GUILTY IN MURDER CASE NEWARK, N.J. (AP) An attorney who once represented Queen Latifah and Naughty By Nature has pleaded not guilty to charges he arranged for the murder of a federal witness. Paul Bergrin was arraigned last week along with a fellow attorney and three other defendants. He's charged with murder, conspiracy and racketeering.

Federal prosecutors in Newark, N.J. accuse him of setting up a witness' murder in 2004 and attempting to arrange the murder of other witnesses last year.

BO DIDDLEY: PLAZA NAMED AFTER MUSIC LEGEND GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) An honor for the late Bo Diddley.

Officials in Gainesville, Fla., have renamed the city's downtown plaza for the music legend, who died last year. Officials have renamed the downtown space the Bo Diddley Community Plaza. As part of the ceremony Friday, a mural dedicated to Diddley was unveiled.

Diddley lived in Archer, a few miles southwest of Gainesville.

Diddley's family gave city officials one of his guitars.

KOKO TAYLOR: SERVICES SET FOR BLUES LEGEND CHICAGO (AP) Funeral services for Koko Taylor are set for this week in Chicago. Her label says the blues legend will be laid out for visitation on Thursday and Friday at the Rainbow Push Coalition headquarters. Her funeral will be held after the final visitation period ends on Friday. Taylor died last week at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She passed away about two weeks after surgery.

On the Net: Koko Taylor's label site: http://www.alligator.com

GARY COLEMAN: FRIEND DISMISSED FROM LAWSUIT AGAINST EX-CHILD ACTOR PROVO, Utah (AP) A friend of Gary Coleman has managed to dodge a legal bullet. A judge in Utah has ruled that the friend can be dropped from the lawsuit filed against the former child star and his wife. An attorney for the man suing Coleman says his client has no beef with the decision to drop Paul Rohbock from the suit.

Meantime, the suit against Coleman and his wife stands. The actor is accused of hitting Colt Rushton with his truck in a bowling alley parking lot. Coleman had objected to the man taking photos of him while bowling. Coleman has pleaded no contest to charges of disorderly conduct and reckless driving in the incident.

"UP" STAYS ATOP MOVIE LEADERBOARD LOS ANGELES (AP) "Up" has stayed up at the top of the box office best-sellers list. The Disney/Pixar animated Film beat out a pair of new comedies to hold on to its number one status. It took in $44.2 million dollars, about a million more than "The Hangover" and a lot more than "Land of the Lost." "Hangover" collected $43.3 million in ticket sales in its first weekend while "Lost" took in a relatively meager $19.5 million. On the plus side for Hollywood overall, "Up" becomes the first movie of the summer season to win the Box Office race two weeks in a row. On the flip side, overall movie revenues are down for the second straight weekend, reversing what had been a trend most of this year.

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00:26 "" Jamie Friar "Up" is looking down at the competition. The AP's Jamie Friar reports on the weekend box office results. ((Opens with sound))


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00:12 "and `Monsters, Inc"' Jamie Friar It's another "Up" weekend for "Up." The AP's Jamie Friar reports the animated Disney-Pixar animated adventure is poised to join some elite company

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00:27 "will eat you" This is sound of Jordan Nagai and Ed Asner This is sound of Jordan Nagai and Ed Asner in a scene from "Up," the No. 1 movie at the box office again this weekend.



KOBE BRYANT: LAKERS WIN GAME 2 OF NBA FINALS IN OT LOS ANGELES (AP) Kobe Bryant now has his Los Angeles Lakers half way to a victory in the NBA Finals. But the fact that they are just two wins away has less to do with Kobe and more to do with a fellow named Courtney Lee. The Orlando Magic rookie missed what could have been a game-winning layup as regulation time ended.

Instead of having the shot even the series, the missed layup pushed the game into overtime, where the Lakers took control for a 101-96 win. The Lakers won Game 1 by 25 points. The series now moves on to Florida.

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O.J. SIMPSON: PROSECUTOR RECOMMENDS HE STAY BEHIND BARS LAS VEGAS (AP) Prosecutors in Las Vegas say convicted criminals are rarely released from prison while they appeal and O.J. Simpson shouldn't be an exception. Clark County District Attorney David Roger says Simpson "does not deserve preferential treatment" while appealing his conviction to the Nevada Supreme Court. Roger says he has no doubt that Simpson's conviction will be upheld. Simpson is serving nine to 33 years in prison for kidnapping and assault. A lawyer for Simpson says if let out on bail, the ex-Football star would pose no flight risk, noting he has already surrendered his passport.

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL: ATTENDS INDYCAR RACE IN Texas FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) He'd probably rather be in the NBA Finals. But instead of having his heart race, Shaquille O'Neal got some engines racing. He attended his first IndyCar Series race and got to give the command to have the racers start their engines.

He also rode shotgun in the pace car with three-time Indy 500 champ Johnny Rutherford. He visited the pit area, but didn't get in any of the cars. Said the 7' 1," 325-pound Shaq: "I could never fit in that."


BARACK OBAMA: THE FRENCH CONNECTION PARIS (AP) And you thought President Barack Obama was popular here in the U.S. people in France were going pretty much ga-ga over him, his wife and two daughters. A restaurant owner said seeing him smile was like seeing God. A chauffeur who got to pose for pictures with the president before wheeling him around town called his gig a "magnificent mission." People lined the streets of Paris to gawk or wave at the Obamas and when they dined out, people in nearby apartment buildings poked their heads out of windows to grab a peek.

NEW ORLEANS MAYOR AND WIFE STRANDED IN China IN SWINE Flu SCARE NEW ORLEANS (AP) New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and his wife are getting a little extra time in China. But it's not exactly a vacation. They have been quarantined, after a passenger on their flight showed flu-like symptoms. Nagin's office says the couple and a security guard are being quarantined in Shanghai as a precaution but that none of the three are exhibiting any swine flu symptoms.

JIMMY RUSHING: LOOKING BACK UNDATED (AP) On this date in 1972, blues and jazz singer Jimmy Rushing died in New York City. He had suffered from leukemia and was 68. Known as "Mr. 5-By-5" because of his short and wide physique, he was a featured attraction of the Count Basie orchestra from 1935 to 1950. Rushing influenced generations of vocalists from jazz to rock.

BERNIE CASEY: BIRTHDAY UNDATED (AP) Actor Bernie Casey turns 70 today. One of his biggest roles was in "Cleopatra Jones," which was released in 1973. He has also starred in "Cornbread, Earl and Me," "I'm Gonna Git You, Sucka" and "Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored."


BOZ SCAGGS: BIRTHDAY UNDATED (AP) It's birthday number 65 for singer Boz Scaggs.

His hits include "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle."


KEENEN IVORY WAYANS: BIRTHDAY UNDATED (AP) Keenen Ivory Wayans turns 51 today. He, brothers Damon, Marlon and Shawn and sister Kim all performed together on the TV show "In Living Color." Keenen's movie credits include "I'm Gonna Git You, Sucka," "Low Down Dirty Shame" and some of the "Scary Movie" spoofs of horror films.

NICCI GILBERT/DORIS PEARSON: BIRTHDAY UNDATED (AP) Birthdays today for members of a couple of R&B groups that are no longer around. Nicci Gilbert of Brownstone turns 39 today and Doris Pearson of Five Star is 43.

KANYE WEST: BIRTHDAY UNDATED (AP) A birthday today for Kanye (KAHN'-yay) West. He's 32.

by Oscar Wells Gabriel II

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 06-08-09 0206CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list