Sarah Ball

Gloomy: What was the last time you saw a headline that called a Picasso a "flop"?  Thanks, Bloomberg News -- this article chronicles last night's Sotheby's sale of some important Impressionist and modern art, including a painting by the famed Spaniard that was left unclaimed at night's end.  As the top lot, the painting was put under the hammer at an estimated $24 million.Gloomier: The painting was reportedly the former holding of William Achenbaum, a New York real-estate developer who is...

More Bad News for Miss California.  Miss California -- and Perez Hilton nemesis -- Carrie Prejean may be investigated by the Miss California pageant delegation, a spokesman for the organization confirmed yesterday.

Preface: This document was released one year ago.  Which would make it ineligible for publication on almost any other news-pegged blog -- except this one!  Because Pop Vox didn't exist a year ago, and therefore, we couldn't write about this very newsworthy thing at the time of its Very Newsworthiness.  [Insert title card: One Year Later...]A full list, in PDF format, of all the books, movies and songs aboard the space station.  Why?  Why not?!

  Everybody hates the new Jessica Simpson cover of Vanity Fair, almost as much as they hate the story.  To the Backlash Mobile! Entertainment Weekly says there isn't enough new insight into how she's battling the Epic Fat that has a stranglehold on her upper thighs.  At least, not enough to justify the "You Call This FAT?" teaser on the cover.  They also carp that she has no new movie or album pending.  Why would VF waste their time with someone neither dieting nor newsworthy?

Actor Dom DeLuise -- never without a toothy smile and his signature newsboy cap -- died yesterday in his sleep while surrounded by family in Santa Monica, his son Michael DeLuise confirmed to reporters today.  The chubby comedian, 75, had a lengthy career; he was a fixture in Mel Brooks films like "Blazing Saddles" and "Spaceballs," and became a familiar face as the pitchman for Ziploc bags in the 1980s.  Here, some of his most memorable moments:

Keep Buying Subway, 'Chuck' Lovers!  NBC announced part of its fall line-up yesterday at its early advertisers' meetings -- but deigned to comment on the future life of its bubble shows, like "Chuck" or "Law & Order."  The network will pick up new dramas "Mercy," "Day One," "Parenthood" and "Trauma," as well as comedies "100 Questions" and "Community."  It will also sustain "Parks & Recreation," "Southland," "Heroes," and more. [Variety]'Top Chef' Snags Bit of Glory.  The James Beard Awards...

The Kentucky Derby!  If you missed this thrilling one, an historic run that New York Times is calling downright restorative to a sport that's seen scant good news, watch above.

Oldest Cook Brother Dies of Brain Cancer. "American Idol" winner David Cook lost his brother Saturday -- Adam Cook, 37, had been struggling with brain cancer since before his younger brother made the show.  He made the decision to stop chemotherapy treatments, which no longer seemed to be helping his advanced sickness, earlier this year.  He's survived by his wife and two kids. [The Associated Press]'Wolverine' Has Strong Opening Weekend.  It didn't quite catch "Iron Man" and his $102...

This just across the wire: Armed burglars have stolen a valuable Salvador Dali painting, per the Associated Press -- no story yet, just the headline. Their sources are Dutch police.  More to come!*UPDATE, 12:38 p.m.:  Masked, armed robbers threatened the guards at a Netherlands musuem and made off with two paintings, one by surrealist Dali, the Associated Press is reporting via the Boston Herland.  The piece says that the Dali work in question is a gouache rendering called "Adolescence,"...

Broadway's beloved blonde bombshell is Kristin Chenoweth, who rocketed to fame as Glinda in "Wicked," has a new memoir out and made us all laugh as Reese Witherspoon's older sister in "Four Christmases."  She talks about her drug history, gives us a run-down on the size of her brain and sings us a famous showtune. Click the player to view!

Jackman & Co. to Jack Up Box Office.  No competition here -- summer's first blockbuster movie, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," has little competition for a big box office sweep. "Ghost of Girlfriends Past" is another star-studded film opening, but as a rom-com with as-yet shaky reviews, the film looks to make little impact.  20th Century Fox has specific goals in mind for the X-Men film: to equal or best the $102 million "Iron Man" opening last year. [Variety]  Here's a sentence that could've...

Singer Chris Brown's lawyer, Mark Geragos, sought dismissal earlier this afternoon of the two felonies charged against his client; he cited the leaked photograph of a visibly battered and bruised Rihanna as evidence of court malfeasance. "The leaks can form the basis for a motion to dismiss the case in regards to outrageous governmental misconduct," Geragos said, according to an E!

DNA is the hardest-working double-helix in show business. The days are brutal: a bunch of paternity tests on "Maury," then under the fingernails of a murder victim on "Law and Order," then over to a special about prehistoric fish fossils.

SATC II: At Least One Man Will Appear In It.  Mr. Big caves to committment, again.  New Line announced last night that "Sex and the City" star Chris Noth signed a seven-figure deal to return for the film's second installment.

After American Apparel -- maker of gold lamé leggings, terrycloth booty shorts and other items that might be better branded as The Boogie Nights Collection -- put Woody Allen's image on a billboard, sans the director's permission, Allen sued for a cool $10 mil.  So via lawyer Stuart Slotnick, American Apparel demanded the director prove he had a reputation worth damaging: "We believe that Mr.

Among the 91,855,578 news headlines Google has aggregated about The Major Pandemic Facing Our Nation is this gem, in People.com's "LATEST":Spencer and Heidi Hope to Fend Off Swine Flu

A glimmer of hope (sort of) if you're hoping to hear @*%$# during daylight hours: The nation's top court today revived the debate on the FCC's ban of "fleeting expletives" on live TV -- narrowly determining that, while the current bans suffice for now, they should be reviewed by a lower court for possible unconstitutionality.  The current rules allow the FCC to keep television curse-word free from 6 a.m.

Talent Rep Biz Sees Unprecedented Merger.  The boards of talent agencies Endeavor and William Morris approved a move yesterday to become one -- going by the name "William Morris Endeavor Entertainment."  As a nameless WMA rep put it to Variety, "William Morris is cash-rich; Endeavor is client-rich.

This week, we'll swap April for May -- making "Slumdog Millionaire" a nearly five-month-old release, something you'd never guess by the headlines.  Not a week goes by that the '09 Best Picture isn't atop entertainment sites' "LATEST" queues and sidebars, for all manner of good and evil.  Last week, we watched captivated as the father of the film's eight-year-old star Rubina Ali was accused of trafficking his daughter for a six-figure sum -- to undercover journalists.

The latest installment in "Wolverine: The Snafus" is a delayed premiere -- Wednesday's Mexico debut of the film in Mexico City has been postponed due to the swine flu outbreak, a 20th Century Fox source confirmed earlier this afternoon to People.  The studio's rationale included this magnanimous quote from an unnamed rep:We were not only concerned about Hugh's welfare – and we would never send anyone into harm's way – but we also have an enormous office filled with people we care about.How...

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the long-rumored deal between online movie-and-TV viewing site Hulu -- the joint venture between Fox and NBC that shows both networks' shows, as well as their movies -- and ABC parent Disney is finally closing.  The two companies are expected to announce the terms of their new partnership as early as this week -- meaning ABC shows and Disney movies could grace Hulu very soon.  Read all about it here.

Arthur, 86, Dies In Los Angeles.  Bea Arthur, the acid-tongued Dorothy of "Golden Girls" and Maude of "Maude," who collected both Emmys and a Tony during her acting career, died Saturday at age 86.  She had been battling cancer, her assistant confirmed to the Associated Press. [Washington Post]Spears' Baby's Father Charged, Hospitalized.  Casey Aldridge, the 19-year-old fiance to Jamie Lynn Spears and father of their child, was charged with careless operation of a motor vehicle early Sunday...

If you haven't read Jennie Yabroff's story about the supposed "miracle" behind our favorite Scottish crooner (if we're not counting Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in "Brigadoon"), check it out below.

Y.B.A. posterman Damien Hirst -- yes, he who smashed Picasso's 1993 single-artist auction record back in September with a $199 million haul -- is not buying art these days.  Seems he is one of the wealthy patrons whose reticence accounts for the 30 to 50 percent drop in contemporary art acquisitions.  Nevertheless, he'd still like you to open your wallet -- he'll be making bronze meteorites soon, he thinks (quote: "They're going to be out of this world!") and Lord knows we all need one of...

The "Fighting" star and upcoming pretty face in summer's blockbuster "G.I. Joe," Channing Tatum talks to NEWSWEEK's Ramin Setoodeh in our "7 Things" series -- topics include his former career in pet sales (?), his reluctant adaptation to a tech-savvy society and his favorite place to read scripts.  Click the player to view!

It has come to our attention -- thanks to some bored banker friends of ours -- that the ongoing letter-writing campaign to the federal government from New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, regarding the bullying tactics of the Federal Reserve, uncannily echoes the plotline of "A Few Good Men," which was about a letter-writing campaign to the federal government, regarding the bullying tactics of the Marine officers stationed at Guantanamo Bay.  Which is nice, because we haven't watched the...

Our quirky satirical video series "Mash'd" continues with this latest installment -- the video team's version of what disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich would look like on a slew of TV's top reality shows.  Nevermind that his dreams were recently dashed with "I'm A Celebrity -- Get Me Out Of Here."  How about "The Biggest Loser" (hint: slo-mo jogging is involved), "The Apprentice" or "Tool Academy" to fill the void?  Click the player to view!

Tarantino, Lee Up For Palme d'Or.  The Festival de Cannes has released the names of the 20 films up for the prestigious Palme d'Or, the festival's marquee award. (The French festival opens May 13 with Pixar's "Up").  Quentin Taratino's "Inglourious Basterds" is among them, as is Ang Lee's "Taking Woodstock" and Jane Campion's "Bright Star" (about Keats).   Many of this year's directorial nominees have already won.  [BBC News]'Millionaire' Back in Late August.  He's baaaack!  Regis Philbin...

Ratings for MTV's darling, "The Hills," are down this year over the last season -- whereas Season Three netted over 4 million viewers, this outing (the fifth) has been flatlining around 3 million.  This might be less surprising, if it weren't the cherished show's last season (or, at least, supposedly the last with heroine Lauren Conrad intact -- the AP is reporting today that the show's producers are in talks about a Season Six) and if it weren't a markedly better, more dramatic, more eventful...

Green actress Daryl Hannah is featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary "The Garden," about a group of community farmers and eco-activists who protested a Los Angeles developer's move to turn 14 acres of communal garden space into warehouses and factories.  (You may remember Hannah's arrest while protesting the development in 2006, when Los Angeles police removed her from a tree.)  The film opens in New York theaters on May 8 -- ahead of its release, and in honor of Earth Day, Hannah shares...