News In Brief
ART - OBJECTION When michelangelo crafted his classic statue "David," he probably never imagined all the ways it might one day affect people. For example, the way children go to school. In Shelton, Conn., officials agreed to divert the route of a bus carrying elementary pupils because it passed a 15-foot-tall replica of the nude form standing outside an office park. A girl aboard the bus complained of being offended by the sight. So now the bus travels out of view of the statue.
GO SOMEWHERE ELSE Australian Prime Minister John Howard was plainly annoyed. Community attitudes were "stubborn," he grumped in a radio interview. His countrymen had behaved "in an unwelcoming way," making government's job "that much harder." What was he so upset about? It seems Avalon Beach, near Sydney, had rebuffed the fleshy TV series "Baywatch," whose producers wanted to make the town their new location. So the shows will be taped in Hawaii instead, costing Australia - whose unemployment rate is 7.5 percent - jobs and foreign investment.
Michael Jordan soars to top of new Forbes celebrity list Those making the inaugural Forbes magazine celebrity 100 list are awarded a "power ranking" that measures both 1998 income and media prominence - on the Web, magazine covers, TV, radio, and newspapers. While comedian Jerry Seinfeld made the most money ($267 million) and actor Leonardo DiCaprio appeared on the most magazine covers (14), it was retired basketball star Michael Jordan who was rated No. 1. The Forbes top 10 and their 1998 earnings (in millions):
1. Michael Jordan $69
2. Oprah Winfrey 125
3. Leonardo DiCaprio 37
4. Jerry Seinfeld 267
5. Steven Spielberg 175
6. The Spice Girls 49
7. Harrison Ford 58
8. Robin Williams 56
9. Celine Dion 56
10. The Rolling Stones 57
- Reuters
