After 43 years, Andy Rooney will end his career on "60 Minutes" next Sunday.
Rooney has been a regular contributor since the news show began in 1968 and
began his weekly commentary in 1978. Since then, he's given 1,096 essay on
everything from coffee to fan mail to the economy. Questions about Rooney's
continuing role emerged after he was absent from his normal end-of-show slot
during the show's season premiere on Sunday, September 25th.

Country music group Rascal Flatts is the latest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
The trio was surprised with the news Tuesday night during their performance on
the Opry. Twenty-year Opry member Vince Gill made an unscheduled appearance to
extend an invitation to join the Opry. The men had tears in their eyes and the
crowd gave them a standing ovation. They will be formally inducted October 8th.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees for 2012 have been announced. Nominees
include Donna Summer, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Heart, The Cure, Guns 'N
Roses, The Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Spinners, Laura Nyro,
Donovan, War, Eric B. & Rakim, Freddie King, Rufus with Chaka Khan and The Small
Faces/The Faces. An act must have released its first single or album 25 years
ago to qualify for induction.

Ratings for the second episode of "Two and a Half Men" without Charlie Sheen
slipped about 30% from its' premiere episode, The Hollywood Reporter said
Tuesday. Monday's episode was still the most-watched show of the night, and drew
about 50% more viewers than the second episode of last year's season.

Berry, the black German Shepherd who played Padfoot (a.k.a Sirius Black) in
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" has been put up for adoption. The
dog's owner, stuntman Paul Thompan told the Daily Mail that he spent too much
time away from home to be fair to the dog and he deserved a full time family.
The adoption was posted on a British Shepherd Animal Adoption shelter.

Someone is messing with Chris Brown.  A fake agent has set up and announced a
concert date for the singer in Vancouver.  Chris' team fired off a cease and
desist letter to EJ Media Group and accused them of fraudulently presenting
themselves as Chris' booking agent. Brown tweeted that the concert was phony.  
The venue, the Pacific Coliseum, has reportedly already wired $25,000 to EJ
Media Group to secure the gig.  In the meantime, EJ Media Group in New York City
contacted TMZ to say they are NOT involved in the Chris Brown concert fraud.  
The company points out the cease and desist letter was sent to a Broadway
address, but they're located on Fifth Avenue meaning, they're not the ones
messing with Chris and now THEY are worried someone is illegally using their
company name.   The plot thickens...

Chace Crawford has had his marijuana possession case dismissed by a Texas judge.
The actor was arrested in June, 2010 in Plano after cops found an unlit joint in
a car in which he was a passenger.  Crawford cut a deal with prosecutors in
which if he stayed clean for a year and did 80 hours of community service, his
case would be dismissed...he did and it was!  Crawford did most of his service
hours in a hospital and a church.

Shayne Lamas, the pregnant "Bachelor" winner, says she is going to name her
baby, "Press" and is negotiating to sign her unborn child up with a talent
agency. According to the contract with Z Group, the company would get 15% of
whatever the kid makes in any form of entertainment job.

Debbie Allen will be showing up on an episode of Grey's Anatomy. She be playing
the role of Dr. Catherine Avery, the mother of Jackson. She knew Meredith's
mother, Ellis.  Her mission is to perform a transplant on a guy diagnosed with
cancer of the penis.  The episode airs October 13th.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" star Mariska Hargitay is giving back to her
alma mater, the UCLA School of Theater Film and Television, with a $100,000
donation toward an acting scholarship. The scholarship, to be named "The Mariska
Hargitay Scholarship for Acting Students," will be earmarked for graduate and
undergraduate studies and will be awarded to students "based on need and merit.

"Private Practice" star, Taye Diggs has written a children’s book called,
"Chocolate me!". The picture book teaches children about fitting in with those
that are different from themselves. The book hit store shelves on Tuesday.

Weight Watchers has named one of its Weight Watchers centers in Chicago after
their spokeswoman, Jennifer Hudson. Hudson has lost 80 pounds since April 2010.
"I am honored that Weight Watchers has put my name on a center in my hometown of
Hyde Park in the city of Chicago," Hudson said on Tuesday at the ribbon-cutting.
"I hope this center and my story continue to serve as an inspiration to others
to begin their own journey toward a healthier lifestyle. The Weight Watchers
Jennifer Hudson Center is one of 400 centers rolling out this year nationwide
with a new design and longer hours. The company says it will donate a portion of
the center's revenue to a foundation in honor of Hudson's late nephew, Julian
King.


DR. CONRAD MURRAY MICHAEL JACKSON MANSLAUGHTER CASE BEGINS



The court heard a recording on Tuesday of Michael Jackson, slurring his words
while prosecutors showed a photo of dead Michael Jackson laying on a hospital
bed. In the recording, a drugged Jackson said: "We have to be phenomenal. When
people leave this show, when people leave my show, I want them to say, 'I've
never seen nothing like this in my life. Go. Go. I've never seen nothing like
this. Go. It's amazing. He's the greatest entertainer in the world'.  "I'm
taking that money, a million children, children's hospital, the biggest in the
world. Michael Jackson's Children's Hospital."

 
The audio clip was recorded on Murray's iPhone six weeks before the King of
Pop's death in 2009 and meant to show that Michael was severely under the
influence of drugs.

Prosecutors portrayed Dr Conrad Murray, 58, as an incompetent physician who used
a dangerous anaesthetic without adequate safeguards and whose neglect left the
50-year-old superstar abandoned as he lay dying.

Defense lawyers countered that Jackson caused his own death in June 2009 by
taking a drug dose, including propofol, after Murray left the room. Murray's
attorney, Ed Chernoff, told the jury Michael Jackson caused his own death.

* Chernoff says the evidence will show MJ swallowed 8, 2 mg pills of Lorazepam.

* Chernoff says MJ self-injected a dose or Propofol that created a "perfect
storm" that killed him.

* There was no way to save MJ.  He died instantly.

*Chernoff suggested another Jackson doctor, Arnold Klein, bore some blame for
the singer's death. The Beverly Hills dermatologist addicted Jackson to Demerol,
sometimes injecting him with 1,000 milligrams in a single week, Chernoff said.

* Dr. Murray is not a "celebrity doctor" -- he's a cardiologist who saves lives.

* The defense will put some of Dr. Murray's patients on the stand to show his
level of care.  He would buy prescriptions for people who couldn't afford it and
would generally go well above the standard of care expected of a doctor.


AEG Live's Co-CEO Paul Gongaware took the stand on Tuesday and told prosecutors
Michael Jackson was the one who demanded 21 extra shows.

* Gongaware claims the first 10 shows sold out nearly instantaneously and
Michael wanted to add another 21 bringing the total to 31.

* Gongaware says Michael was obsessed with beating Prince's record of 21 shows at
the O2 arena.

* He said even after selling out 50 shows, there were still 250,000 people
waiting for tickets.

Michael Jackson's friend and choreographer, Kenny Ortega, also took the stand
for the prosecution claiming Michael was ill in the days leading to his death
and Dr. Murray berated him when he expressed concern.

* Ortega -- creator and director of "This Is It" -- says Michael was "very
excited" about the show.

* Ortega said in mid to late June, 2009 Michael missed several rehearsals.

* On Friday June 19th, Ortega noticed Michael "wasn't right" and that something
was going on. Ortega said it "troubled him." He said Michael seemed lost and was
"incoherent."

* Ortega says he sat with Michael as he watched the rehearsals -- rubbing
Michael's feet because the singer was freezing cold. Michael left early that
day.

* Ortega says he was so worried about Michael, he sent an email to AEG Live CEO
Randy Phillips saying Michael needed psychological help.

Murray could get up to four years in prison if convicted of the felony charge of
involuntary manslaughter.

The trial continues...