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Oprah
throws party for U.S. Olympic medalists
By Michael Conlon
CHICAGO
(Reuters) - Talk show host Oprah Winfrey threw a rousing welcome home party
for more than 150 U.S. Olympic medal winners on Wednesday that was a salute to the athletes and a pep rally for efforts to
bring the 2016 summer games to America. Winfrey, whose program is seen 140 countries and boasts a weekly U.S. audience of 46 million, filled an open-air
concert venue on Chicago's Lake Michigan waterfront with more than 4,000 people who jumped, shouted and cheered in swirling
red, white and blue confetti as the medalists walked through the aisles and took the stage. "Team USA, you want to make us all stand taller," she told the athletes
at the end of the program, adding that she hoped they would have a chance to return to Chicago for the 2016 games, for which
the city is bidding against Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. Swimmer Michael Phelps, who came back from last month's games in Beijing with a record eight gold medals, told
Winfrey his feat had not sunk in but "I need to get back home" to Maryland to see friends and his pet bulldog. "One of the biggest things I want to do is
grow the sport of swimming," he added, noting that he has established a charitable foundation to promote the sport using
the $1 million bonus he earned from the makers of Speedo swimwear. Wednesday's show, which will air in syndication on September 8, marked the start of Winfrey's 23rd season. Another swimming star, silver medalist Dara Torres,
told Winfrey she was not done with competitive swimming at age 41. "I kind of want to keep going for a bit," she said, unlike past Olympic competitions after which, she said,
she didn't want to go near the water again. The venue for the 2016 games will be announced in October next year. Phelps was scheduled to meet with Chicago community
leaders later in the day to help provide support for the city's bid. (Editing by Andrew Stern and Frances Kerry)
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Britney Spears to open MTV Video Music Awards
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY
AP Music Writer NEW YORK -- It's
Britney, baby, one more time. Despite her train-wreck performance at the MTV Video Music Awards last year, the network confirms
Spears will kick off the show once again. But it won't be a performance. Instead, MTV Networks Music Group President Van
Toffler said Wednesday, it'll be something "fun and unexpected" on Sunday night's show. Unexpected is probably the kindest way to describe Spears' performance at last
year's VMAs. In what was heavily promoted as the troubled singer's comeback, she instead gave an unfocused, almost
unwatchable performance of "Gimme More," one of the many low points in her year of debacles. So what made Spears and MTV reunite one more time? "MTV has long played an important role in my career. How can I not be there to kick off their 25th VMAs? I'm
excited to open the entire show, to say hi to my fans and to be nominated," Spears said in a statement. "I think for Britney, people are rooting for her, and she's really on
the road to recovery," Toffler said, noting that MTV had nominated her for three VMAs, including video of the year, for
her clip "Piece of Me." "It feels like it's
her year," he added. "It's our 25th anniversary of the VMAs, and she's been such a critical piece of MTV's
history." While she bombed in 2007, Spears has given
the VMAs many highlights over the years, from her kiss with Madonna to her performance with a writhing snake. Spears also equals ratings gold: Last year's VMAs were up 23 percent over the
2006 show. In recent months, Spears, who's working on
a new album, has appeared to have cleaned up her act (although a judge on Wednesday refused to dismiss a misdemeanor driving
without-a-valid-license case against her). Her father James has been in control of her personal and professional matters as
her legal conservator, and she drew high ratings and positive reviews when she made guest appearances on CBS' "How
I Met Your Mother" earlier this year. So far, the confirmed
performers for Sunday's show include the Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, T.I. and Kid Rock. Toffler also raised the possibility of another troubled pop icon appearing: Michael
Jackson. "We've been talking to him as well, I
don't know if that's going to happen," he said. "People fall in and fall out up until the day of the show."
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