On the picket line

The writers strike has struck down the Fox thriller "24." The series starring Kiefer Sutherland is absent from the network's revised schedule for midseason. Fox explained the series would be indefinitely postponed to ensure an uninterrupted run. Like most other series written by members of the Writers Guild of America, "24" is falling prey to a shortfall of scripts. In New York yesterday, Julianne Moore schmoozed with Nora Ephron, Robin Williams chatted up David Duchovny, and Richard Belzer walked one dog and toted another in front of Time Warner Center during the fourth day of the strike by TV and film writers over getting a share of new media profits. No new negotiations have been scheduled on the main sticking points between the WGA and producers: payments from DVDs and shows offered on the Internet. In Los Angeles, Ray Romano brought bagels, fruit, and juice for strikers outside the gate at Paramount Studios. He said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who relied on writers for memorable lines during his movie career, should help get stalled contract talks restarted. " 'I'll be back' - somebody wrote that. He didn't make that up," Romano said. As if on cue, Schwarzenneger announced later in the day that he has assumed an unspecified backstage role to bring an end to the strike. "I'm talking to the parties that are involved because I think it's very important that we settle that as quickly as possible," he said. (AP, Reuters)

J.Lo is pregnant

After weeks of speculation, singer-actress Jennifer Lopez has confirmed that she is pregnant, People magazine reported yesterday. "Marc and I are expecting a baby," the 38-year-old performer said during a concert (above) in Miami on Wednesday night during the last stop on her joint North American tour with her husband, vocalist Marc Anthony.

Wesley Snipes claims a central Florida county is too racist to allow him to get a fair trial on tax evasion charges. A federal indictment charges Snipes, 45, with fraudulently claiming refunds totaling nearly $12 million in 1996 and 1997. The actor also was charged with failure to file returns from 1999 through 2004. He is scheduled to go on trial in Ocala in January. In a motion filed in US District Court, Snipes's lawyer argued that the US Attorney's Office selected Marion County because prosecutors "deliberately chose the most racially discriminatory venue available to the government with the best possibility of an all-white Southern jury where Snipes has never resided." (AP)

Britney Spears must provide a single, working telephone number to be called in for court-ordered drug testing, a court commissioner ruled yesterday in Los Angeles. Of the 14 such calls placed to Spears, she failed to respond eight times, Kevin Federline's attorney told Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon. Spears's lawyer argued that Spears hadn't responded within an hour, as ordered by the court, because she was sleeping, and asked that she be given a six-hour response time instead. Federline, 29, has temporary custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, because Spears, 25, has defied court orders. (AP)

A Georgia woman who claims to have married James Brown in 1953 says they were never divorced and she wants to be part of his estate. Velma Warren Brown, 73, filed a sworn statement in Aiken County court claiming she was never served with divorce papers and didn't sign any agreement severing her marriage to the late soul singer. Brown died Christmas Day at age 73. At least two attorneys involved in disputes over Brown's estate and trust discounted her claim. (AP)

Duane "Dog" Chapman says he will never use a certain racial slur again. Chapman, 54, has apologized to blacks and to all Americans for repeatedly using the racial slur during a March phone call to his son Tucker, urging him to break up with a black girlfriend. The Web release of the recorded conversation led the A&E television network to put Chapman's reality show indefinitely on hold. (AP)

A scooter-riding Mickey Rourke was arrested yesterday on suspicion of driving under the influence. The actor was arrested at 4:20 a.m. and booked at the Miami-Dade County Jail, said a jail spokeswoman. He was released on a $1,000 bond. A Miami Beach Police report said Rourke made a U-turn with a red light and then swerved several times while on a green scooter. Rourke, 51, allegedly failed field-sobriety tests.(AP)

A possible deal for a one-hour talk show hosted by Rosie O'Donnell has collapsed, after she said over the weekend that she was talking to MSNBC. O'Donnell's blog and other sources confirmed that plans for her to host a weeknight talk show fell apart following days of negotiations. (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)