Hot global warming debate at D.C. dinner

Karl Rove's debate with singer Sheryl Crow and producer Laurie David about global warming heated the atmosphere at a black-tie Washington dinner Saturday night. On the eve of Earth Day, Crow and "Inconvenient Truth" producer David walked over to the presidential adviser's table at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the Washington Hilton. Their differences on global warming quickly bubbled over, the Washington Post reported yesterday. "I am floored by what I just experienced with Karl Rove," David said later. "I went over to him and said, I urge you to take a new look at global warming. He went zero to 100 with me. . . . I've never had anyone be so rude." Rove said: "She came over to insult me and she succeeded." As the debate intensified, Crow tried to calm things down but was drawn into the debate with Rove instead. "You work for me," she told Rove, according to the Post column "The Reliable Source." "No," was his response. "I work for the American people." Heather Lylis, a spokeswoman for Crow and David's global warming tour, said yesterday that Crow's response for Rove was: "Yes, and I'm an American citizen." (AP)

Madonna jetted out of Malawi yesterday after a six-day visit to the impoverished homeland of the toddler she wants to adopt, carrying the boy in her arms as she boarded her plane. Madonna and her husband, producer Guy Ritchie, took custody of David Banda last October . Critics said the 48-year-old star used her celebrity status to circumvent Malawian adoption laws -- allegations she denies. Madonna spent time visiting orphanages, projects for street children, and agricultural development programs as well as opening a day - care center funded by her charity, Raising Malawi. (AP)

A fund - raising auction of music memorabilia from Jimi Hendrix, The Edge, Bono, Paul McCartney , and others smashed expectations and brought in $2.4 million, some of which will go to Music Rising, a charity cofounded by The Edge that replaces musical equipment lost to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. A guitar owned by Hendrix was sold Saturday for $480,000. . . . Yesterday in New York, "The Producers," the hit Mel Brooks musical, ended its Broadway run after 2,502 performances. (AP)

Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan apologized to Indian journalists yesterday after several photographers were beaten by gun-toting guards for trying to take pictures of his newly married son Abhishek and his bride , former Miss World Aishwarya Rai. "I am sorry and I apologize with folded hands if the media had trouble because of our security," Bachchan told reporters outside his home in Mumbai . (Reuters)

CBS Radio is suing a small radio station in San Bernardino, Calif., for airing reruns of Don Imus's program since his firing for sexist and racist comments about the Rutgers University women's college basketball team. The lawsuit filed last week in federal court in Riverside claims KCAA-AM and its license holder violated copyright protections. (AP)