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During a recent interview, comedian Will Ferrell revealed he no longer plans to perform in drag. In particular, he revealed he regrets performing a Saturday Night Live sketch where he portrayed attorney general Janet Reno in drag. Joining Ferrell was SNL writer and his Will & Harper co-star Harper Steele, who also shared her views on the subject.

Ferrell Portrayed Reno In A Few Sketches

As noted on Variety, Ferrell talked about dressing like Janet Reno while on The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast.

Will Ferrell – YouTube

In one SNL sketch, known as “Janet Reno’s Fantasies,” Ferrell poses as Reno in her bedroom while wearing a pink jacket and nightgown. Lying in bed, “Janet” talks to her stuffed lion, “Simba,” and shares her fantasies about kissing and marrying President Bill Clinton. John James Conyers Jr., played by Tim Meadows, calls her on the phone to gossip, only for...

Pete Buttigieg has recently sought to distance himself from Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren — in particular on the issue of Medicare For All.

Buttigieg recently asserted he “never believed” in mandating single payer healthcare. “Only in the last few months did it become the case that Medicare for All was defined by politicians to mean ending private insurance,” he told the Nevada Independent, “and I’ve never believed that that’s the right pathway.”

But the public record suggests that Buttigieg’s position has evolved. In a 2018 Twitter exchange with...

Former House Judiciary Chairman Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the longest-serving black member in congressional history, died Sunday in his sleep at age 90, according to his family.

Conyers chaired the House Oversight Committee from 1989 to 1995 and was chair of the House Judiciary Committee from 2007 to 2011. He was pressured to resign after more than 50 years in the House when female staffers came forward with allegations of sexual harassment by the congressman.

Conyers began his service to his country in 1948 when he joined...

By network broadcasting standards, the night of January 20th, 1986, had more than its share of rarely-seen-on-tv highlights. Bob Dylan and his band glided through a gently pulsing, almost R&B take on “I Shall Be Released,” and Dylan joined Peter, Paul and Mary for “Blowin’ in the Wind” — remarkably, the first time all four had ever sung that song together onstage. Whitney Houston, energized and vocally stirring, bounded onstage to join Ashford and Simpson for “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

Even with all that star power, the night belonged to Stevie Wonder.

Right wing provocateur Mike Cernovich is having a moment. Over the last week he has led a reign of terror on Twitter, exposing old tweets of Hollywood’s mighty and powerful and — to the surprise of some — has wrought real consequences. Here is a round up of some of his most infamous moments past and present.

Sam Seder:

Mike Cernovich targeted the MSNBC contributor over a years old “joke” about his daughter being raped. MSNBC dropped Seder before reinstating him after a public backlash

Perry Fein:

Los Angeles Times freelancer Perry Fein slipped into Cernovich’s DMs threatening violence. He was out from the iconic La paper just hours later

James Gunn:

Cernovich helped lead an online campaign highlighting hundreds of old tweets from Gunn “joking” about pedophilia. Gunn offered an apology, but was dropped by Disney from it’s popular “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise. He remains...

It’s not just Hollywood being rocked by sexual harassment and assault scandals, but Washington is also seeing a bright light shined on its darker corners. Al Franken, John Conyers, and Roy Moore among others have faced controversy, not to mention that the country is being led by someone who has openly bragged about crossing boundaries with women. All this is to say that “Chappaquiddick” arrives at a particularly potent time, if only to remind these kinds of stories have been around for decades.

Continue reading ‘Chappaquiddick’ Trailer: Jason Clarke’s Ted Kennedy Faces Controversy at The Playlist.

A female congressional candidate has withdrawn her name from the voting ballot after sexual harassment allegations resurfaced on Friday.

Andrea Ramsey, a 56-year-old Democratic candidate from Kansas, announced the end of her campaign on social media, dropping out of the race to unseat Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kan. in the state’s third congressional district. She did, however, deny the allegations.

Ramsey was accused of sexual harassment in a 2005 lawsuit, which was first reported by The Kansas City Star. A former employee of Ramsey’s at LabOne, a medical diagnostics company, alleged she sexually harassed him and then fired him after he denied her advances.

After being accused of sexual harassment by a former campaign staffer, congressman Ruben Kihuen — Nevada’s first Latino member of the U.S. House — refuses to step down.

“I’m not resigning. I’m definitely not resigning,” he told CNN when asked about his midterm election plans for next year. “That’s all I can tell you for now,” he said.

Amid the allegations, the Nevada Democrat faces calls from politicians, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, to resign. “In Congress, no one should face sexual harassment in order to work in an office or in a campaign,” Pelosi said in a statement.

Twitter was divided on Thursday as people voiced their approval — or disappointment — over Sen. Al Franken’s resignation amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.

Much like Franken himself did in his emotional Senate-floor speech, many tweeters pointed out the irony that the Minnesota Democrat was forced to resign over his alleged actions while other politicians who have been accused of sexual misconduct — including President Donald Trump and embattled Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore — have not faced consequences. (Trump and Moore have denied the allegations against them.)

Actress Ellen Barkin showed support for Franken while decrying Democrats for their part in his resignation,...

John Conyers' son -- the one he wants to replace him in Congress -- was arrested this year for felony domestic violence ... TMZ has learned. John Conyers III got in a fight with his girlfriend on February 15, 2017. Law enforcement sources tell us he accused her of cheating after going through her computer at around 2 Am. The argument allegedly escalated into physical violence ... she told cops John body slammed her on her bed and on the floor,...

Michigan’s Democratic Rep. John Conyers said Tuesday morning he is “retiring today,” but wants his son to take his congressional seat. TV news outlets jumped on the announcement as yet another woman accused Conyers of sexual misconduct. Until then, their This Day In John Conyers reports had been about Elisa Grubbs. Grubbs, who once worked for Conyers, came forward to say the country’s longest-serving congressman groped her in church. She says she also saw him…...

[[tmz:video id="0_66s0kpym"]] Attorney Lisa Bloom says she has a number of women who contacted her and are ready to testify that they too were victims of sexual harassment at the hands of Representative John Conyers. We got Bloom at Lax where she said she was busy on her flight sending emails to lawyers for the House Ethics Committee and offered to have her current client -- Marion Brown -- and other former staffers who have contacted her...

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On Tuesday, “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski aimed her fire on an familiar foe, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Brzezinski took particular exception to Sanders’ defense of Donald Trump disparaging Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas during a ceremony honoring World War II’s Navajo code talkers. Also Read: 'Morning Joe' Defends 'Icon' John Conyers After Sexual Harassment Claim, Calls for 'Due Process' “When is there going to be a moment when she actually says the president misspoke? What’s wrong with her? Why does she do that job? How can she look in the mirror every day and say...

On Monday, “Morning Joe” came to the defense of Rep. John Conyers (D – Michigan), who is facing pressure to resign from Congress after news emerged that he settled a 2015 sexual harassment claim from a female staffer. The woman said she was fired after declining Conyer’s sexual advances. However, co-host Mika Brzezinski called for “due process” rather than a hasty rush to judgment about the veteran politician, who has served in the U.S. House since 1965. Also Read: Mika Brzezinski Blasted for Sounding Alarm on Harassment as 'Morning Joe' Regulars Drop Like Flies “I think it’s really important that the words due.

Rep. John Conyers of Michigan stepped down as the ranking Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee on Sunday in light of an investigation into sexual harassment accusations against him.

Conyers — the most senior member of the House, holding his seat since 1965 — again said that he denied the allegations.

“After careful consideration and in light of the attention drawn by recent allegations made against me, I have notified the Democratic Leader of my request to step aside as Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee during the investigation of these matters,” the 27-term congressman said in a statement released on his Twitter page.

[[tmz:video id="0_hs10gkcc"]] Carly Fiorina thinks the response by Congress to sexual harassment is a joke. We got the former presidential candidate Sunday in downtown Washington D.C., and she scoffs at the current rules for reporting sexual harassment -- which, among other things, requires the alleged victim to undergo counseling.  Fiorina, who has said she's been a victim of sexual harassment, says it's been going on a long time, and thinks the only way it will change...

Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit” is not an easy movie to watch. An hour is devoted to the brutal depiction of the 1967 Algiers Motel incident, in which racist police officers murdered several innocent black men — all while protests against police brutality dominated the streets. However, the film’s unflinching portrait of racism has a real-time resonance that could generate new conversations about the struggle to address these problems today.

However, as “Detroit” opens wide in theaters across the nation, it has already shown potential to impact something even bigger than a post-screening debate: legislation.

On July 20, Michigan’s longtime U.S. Representative John Conyers Jr. screened the movie in Washington D.C. for an event that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Detroit uprising.(He’s also a character in the film, played by Laz Alonzo.) In 2001, Conyers introduced a bill to establish the the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans,...

A group of four former and current NFL players held a Congressional forum this week to address criminal justice issues, including police brutality against the black community, reported NBC News.

Lead by Anquan Boldin, a free agent who most recently played for the Detroit Lions, the men – including former New England Patriots wide receiver Donte Stallworth, safety for the Philadelphia Eagles Malcom Jenkins and Lions quarterback Johnson Bademosi – met with over a dozen members of Congress to touch on a variety of concerns, said The Huffington Post.

Boldin’s push for improvements between the black community and law enforcement bodies had personal roots: his cousin,...

Donald Trump‘s inauguration won’t be a star-studded affair on Friday — and it’s shaping up to be skippable by many politicians as well.

Though he won the Electoral College by 306 votes to Hillary Clinton’s 236, he’s starting off his presidency with the lowest approval rate in decades — just 40 percent, according to a CNN/Orc survey. (Before he took office in early 2009, Barack Obama’s approval rating was 84 percent, according to the same survey.)

That disapproval has seeped into the Capitol, with 51 members of Congress (at current count) abstaining from Trump’s inauguration and the following festivities.

Most notable is Rep.

This may be the tamest birthday party ever for legendary rocker Steven Tyler, but the Aerosmith frontman still knows how to get the party going. Tyler was honored in Washington D.C. on Tuesday at the National Music Publishers' Association Celebration of the American Songwriters, where he accepted an award for his advocacy work on behalf of songwriters. The rocker was also on Capitol Hill Monday to speak to members of Congress about protecting artists' rights to control how their songs are used. "It's a bit like Mr. Smith goes to Washington," he joked. "Mr. Aerosmith in this case." He...

Dear Mr. Niblock,

We have never met.

Yet, you seem to have bought into the idea that I am a threat.

One fringe group screamed "Muslim," and lo and behold, you caved.

And, in turn, you've made the drastic error of pulling your company's spots from essentially an All-American show from an all-American TV network.

Clearly, you do not seem to know much about American Muslims or their contributions to the American fabric, so let me take this opportunity to enlighten you.

I come from a proud immigrant family that moved here 20 years ago from Pakistan. My parents taught my siblings and me to work hard and accomplish our dreams. Today, we are contributing members of our communities, with two of my siblings working as physician's assistants and one as a firefighter. As for me, I turned to writing and advocacy during my days in college and have continued to pursue those causes with fervor.

Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Tuesday became the latest Democrat to lambaste a recent decision by Lowe's home improvement stores to pull advertising from a reality TV show about American Muslims living in Michigan.

"This is a major American company rubber stamping basic foundational bigotry against a major American religious group," Murphy said of the decision, which was prompted by a complaint from right wing evangelical group the Florida Family Association. "This country was founded on the premise of religious freedom and this body should never remain silent when a group of people is marginalized just because they worship a different God."

In an earlier statement, the Florida Family Association claimed that TLC's "All-American Muslim" was "propaganda" that improperly characterized Muslims because it didn't depict anyone "advancing Islamic fundamentalism and Sharia law." The show follows five Lebanese American Muslim families living in Dearborn, Michigan.

"The show profiles only Muslims that...

Several entertainment industry unions—including the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists—have joined together to express support for a new anti-piracy bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday. The legislation would broaden the Justice Department's power to block access to so-called "rogue" websites that distribute copyright-violating material. It was introduced by Reps. Lamar Smith, R-Texas; John Conyers, D-Mich.; Bob Goodlatte, R-Va.; and Howard Berman, D-Calif."Without proactive measures like the Stop Online Piracy Act, rogues sites will continue to siphon away wages and benefits from members of the creative community, greatly compromising our industry's ability to foster creativity, provide opportunities, and ensure good jobs," the unions said in a written statement. The Stop Online Piracy Act is considered a companion bill to the Protect IP Act, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year with bipartisan support but immediately had a legislative hold.

Ken Carozza Chris Dodd

Chris Dodd, the former U.S. senator who is now chairman and chief executive of the Motion Picture Association of America, said he wanted to help create a bridge between Hollywood and Silicon Valley on Wednesday at conference for film and television technology specialists.

Speaking to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers in one of his first major addresses running the movie studio trade group, Mr. Dodd spoke out against the “manufactured conflict” between the two industries.

Bradley Manning, who allegedly leaked hundreds of thousands of secret government documents to Julian Assange's WikiLeaks, turns 23 in jail Friday. The Daily Beast's Denver Nicks, in an exclusive interview with Manning's attorney, reports on his solitary confinement, what he's reading (from George W. Bush to Howard Zinn), and his legal strategy.

The last time Bradley Manning saw the world outside of a jail, most Americans had never heard of WikiLeaks. On Friday, Manning, the man whose alleged unauthorized release of hundreds of thousands of classified documents put the website and its controversial leader, Julian Assange, on the map, turns 23 behind bars. Since his arrest in May, Manning has spent most of his 200-plus days in solitary confinement. Other than receiving a card and some books from his family, his birthday will be no different. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast, his attorney, David Coombs, revealed key details about...

The driver’s license of Representative John Conyers (D-mi), like that of many a misbehaving 16-year-old, was recently suspended. The Hill reports: “Conyers, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, attempted to renew the license Feb. 2 but months later was informed that he wrote a check for the renewal on an account with insufficient funds. The license was suspended June 30 until July 26 when Conyers paid the fee.” Congressman Conyers’s office adds that the checking account in question was closed, which is certainly a very solid explanation. Conyers, though, has a history of personal-banking dilemmas. In 1992, he played a small part in a small, forgotten scandal known as Rubbergate.

Stephen Colbert is making the Colbert Nation proud. But as for the people running the nation, we're not so sure. In a surreal spectacle, Comedy Central's faux conservative pundit testified—in character—before a House subcommittee on behalf of migrant laborers. And yes, Colbert was being Colbert. "I certainly hope that my star power can bump this hearing all the way up to C-span 1," Colbert told members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security and the packed gallery. But it almost didn't happen. House subcommittee cochairman, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) kicked things off by trying to halt Colbert's testimony before it could...

It's hard to call this good news, considering the tragic event that led to it. But it is, at least, better news. The FBI is investigating the tragic shooting of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones, who was killed by a stray bullet when Detroit cops raided her home in May. We have U.S. Rep. John Conyers to thank for getting the Feds involved...

Senator Robert C. Byrd, center, with, from left, Senator Ted Kennedy, Rep. John Conyers, Rep. John Dingell, and Rep. Charles Rangel. Photograph by Mark Seliger, from the February 2007 issue of Vanity Fair. The death of Senator Robert C. Byrd is hardly a shock, and given his great age and full life, it can’t be thought of as a tragedy, either. But it is, nevertheless, the end of an era in Washington and the nation—an era that had its great and grave flaws but whose passing is worth pausing to mourn. Byrd loved dogs, “Washington Week in Review,” tradition, fiddle music, the Senate, the Constitution, and his home state of West Virginia—not necessarily in that order. He was the master of the Senate’s rules, precedents, and folkways, and the author of a multi-volume scholarly account of its history. He lived long enough to embrace most of a...

Opponents of the merger between Comcast and NBC Universal fear being blacklisted if they speak their minds.

So argues U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who made the charge Monday during a House Judiciary hearing that focused on whether the proposed merger would lead to more, or less, ethnic diversity in the entertainment industry.

The outspoken California Democrat also insinuated that someone representing Comcast inquired about making certain political donations in exchange for her support of the merger.

Asked by The Hollywood Reporter for names and other details about both of her accusations, Waters demurred. "Let's not go there," she said.

But during the public hearing, Waters noted that some scheduled to testify Monday bowed out at the last minute, fearful of retribution.

"It is somewhat troublesome that many independent and minority programmers, producers, writers and directors have been afraid to voice their concerns for fear of blacklisting or other forms of retaliation,...

By Ira Teinowitz

The House Judiciary Committee is scheduling a second hearing on the Comcast-nbcu deal, this one to be held in Los Angeles on Monday.

The committee announced the hearing on Tuesday, saying it would take place at 9 a.m. at the California Science Center downtown.

Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., had indicated at the committee’s first hearing on the deal that he had some additional questions and mentioned the possibility of scheduling a second hearing, but the announcement was a surprise. The committee’s website said the hearing was called at &...

New York --The movie and TV industry contributed 2.5 million jobs and $41.1 billion in wages to the U.S. economy in 2007, according to an MPAA report.

That's up from more than 1.3 million jobs and $30.2 billion in 2005 as reported by the trade group in its inaugural report a couple of years ago.

In another key finding, there has been a shift of top production states beyond the traditional entertainment powerhouses of California and New York. Illinois, Texas and Florida are among those that have become more important industry hubs, while Nevada, Arizona and Montana are among those that have lost some luster.

MPAA chairman and CEO Dan Glickman will present the findings of the entertainment economic impact study today at the start of the second biennial Business of Show Business symposium in Washington. Under the theme "American Creativity at Work," the MPAA event is designed to showcase Hollywood's economic contributions and importance.

A congressional subcommittee instrumental in determining copyright law will disappear in January, alleviating fears that it might have been headed by someone hostile to Hollywood.

The Internet and Intellectual Property subcommittee is run by Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., though he must give up the job to focus on chairing the Foreign Affairs committee next year. Berman has been sympathetic to Hollywood's view of copyright law.

Had seniority been adhered to, Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., would have replaced Berman.

However, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday that the subcommittee will be disbanded and matters that would have gone there will go straight to the full House Judiciary Committee, headed by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich. Hollywood lobbyists consider Conyers an ally.

Washington insiders said Conyers decided to scrap the subcommittee rather than name a new chairman for it since it had grown so large and already encompassed a majority of the full panel.

The DGA is set to honor director Milos Forman and "Law & Order" producer Dick Wolf at its annual DGA Honors ceremony on Oct. 16 in New York.

Also being feted at the gala are producer Irwin Young, Congressman John Conyers (D-mi) and UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television dean Robert Rosen, who is being honored with the John Huston Award.

DGA Honors recognize individuals and institutions that have made contributions to American culture through film and TV.

"DGA Honors is our opportunity to gather with friends and colleagues in the entertainment industry to recognize those people whose works and lives have had some profound influence on us," said DGA president Michael Apted.

Added DGA's national vp Steven Soderbergh, "All of our honorees have left their mark on our industry in an indelible way."

Forman is receiving honors for his body of work, that includes "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Amadeus.

RELATED:

Glickman not neutral on net neutrality

WASHINGTON -- The debate over network neutrality threatens to drive a wedge between Hollywood and its traditional Democratic allies.

Proponents of government action to preserve the open character of the Internet contend that the issue is nonpartisan, but it has been mostly Democrats who have pursued it.

Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., has made the issue a priority. The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's telecommunications and Internet subcommittee has introduced the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, which would ensconce the network neutrality principles into law.

Meanwhile, FCC members Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, both Democrats, have been more vocal about the need for commission action than the Republicans on the panel.

The same day that MPAA chief Dan Glickman decried government regulation of the Internet during his ShoWest speech in Las Vegas, the Democrat-led House Judiciary Committee took up the issue of network neutrality. While committee chairman Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., said he doesn't think new legislation is needed, he made it clear Tuesday that net neutrality calls out for vigorous antitrust enforcement.

WASHINGTON -- An anti-piracy enforcer would be installed in the White House under a broad proposal to strengthen the government's hand in the war on intellectual property crimes. That proposal cleared its first big legislative hurdle Thursday.

A top priority for the movie studios and record industry, the PRO-IP Act won unanimous approval by the House Judiciary Committee's intellectual property subcommittee. The vote is a strong signal that the legislation, which also is being pushed by a broad coalition of manufacturing and labor interests, can become law this year.

The bill attempts to make it easier for law enforcement officers to go after the personnel and material that pirates use to import and manufacture everything from brake parts to DVDs.

"We need to radically step up our efforts because the problem is expanding faster than our enforcement officers can keep up," full committee chairman Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., said. "Status quo, no matter how aggressively pursued by earnest, intelligent, hardworking people, has thus far been woefully insufficient."

Subcommittee chairman Rep.

Logging out: Marshall Herskovitz may have co-created the Internet series "quarterlife," but he wasted no time in dubbing its transition to TV a failure. "It never should have been a network show. It's too specific," he told an audience at Harvard Business School's Entertainment & Media confab. The series' debut averaged just 3.1 million viewers -- a 17-year low for NBC in the Tuesday 10 p.m. slot -- despite a strong lead-in. While the series won't get another airing on the Peacock, "quarterlife" fans can take heart. It's already been shifted to Bravo.

When moguls speak: Mel Karmazin has a lot on his mind. The Sirius boss is not only sweating his satellite radio firm's long-delayed merger with XM but whether he'll be able to renew high-priced talent like Howard Stern when the time comes. "If (Howard) would like to extend his deal at less money, we would be interested in that," Karmazin joked as he spoke with analysts this week. "But from my history with him, I don't think that is apt to happen." Probably not. The termination date for the proposed merger is Saturday, but you can expect an extension as House Judiciary Committee chair John Conyers has all but told the DOJ to take its time.

Jeff Zucker was back at his alma mater this week, delivering a speech at Harvard that covered everything from the decision to replace Jay with Conan at 11:35 p.m. (the most difficult of his career) to plans to scale back development ("There are a lot of mansions based on the same old system"). He also took issue with Warner Bros. TV Group boss Bruce Rosenblum's recent suggestion that the future could see studios taking their product directly to consumers via digital media.

WASHINGTON -- A number of entertainment industry lobbying outfits made moves Thursday to beef up their efforts to influence policy in Washington, with Viacom, NAB and the Digital Music Assn. announcing hires and promotions.

Perhaps the biggest coup, however, went to boutique firm the Fritts Group, which lured away former MPAA lobbyist Ken Inouye from electronic games trade group the Entertainment Software Assn. Inouye, son of Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawaii, gives the organization run by former National Association of Broadcasters president and CEO Edward Fritts a well-respected Democrat to add to its GOP bona fides.

Meanwhile, DiMA netted as its top lobbyist Greg Barnes, senior counsel to House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers, D-Mich. Barnes will join DiMA on Feb. 1 to become the association's legislative counsel and director of government affairs.

DiMA is one of the music industry's traditional opponents as it has battled over the way royalties are divvied up for music delivered over the Internet and on other digital platforms.

WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan group of lawmakers have introduced a bill designed to consolidate and strengthen the federal government's ability to fight intellectual property piracy by establishing a White House intellectual property czar.

The Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property "PRO IP" Act of 2007 is being pushed by leaders of the House Judiciary Committee and has become a top priority of a broad sector of industry and labor groups that have felt the piracy pinch in everything from bogus brake linings to counterfeit DVDs.

"This legislation is an important and necessary step in the fight to maintain our competitive edge in a global marketplace," House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich, said Wednesday. "By providing additional resources for enforcement of intellectual property, we ensure that innovation and creativity will continue to prosper in our society."

It is estimated that the worldwide economic cost of counterfeiting and piracy runs from $500 billion-$600 billion a year in lost sales and accounts for about 5%-7% of global trade.

WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers are trying again to consolidate the government's different copyright law enforcement offices into one person in an attempt to make them more effective.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., told people attending a Copyright Alliance function that he plans to introduce a copyright czar bill in the next few weeks.

"We'll have a bill in the next few weeks and try to bring all these agencies together," said Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

It was unclear how the new copyright czar will differ from the one Congress approved in 2004 under the National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council under Chris S. Israel, the current U.S. coordinator for intellectual property enforcement.

When asked about the specifics of his legislation, Conyers demurred. Aides to the Judiciary Committee said their boss, other lawmakers and the intellectual-property community were concerned about the splintered effort.

"We're trying to do something about all these agencies and what they've been doing about enhancing copyright enforcement," one aide said.

WASHINGTON -- The chairwoman of the House Entertainment Industries Caucus said Monday that the Chinese are willing to play ball with the U.S. over intellectual property issues despite that country's denunciation of a Bush administration decision to take to the World Trade Organization complaints of widespread piracy and counterfeiting of American goods.

Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif., said in an interview that Beijing realizes that trade in copyrighted goods is a two-way street. She just returned from a congressional delegation to China that included meetings with high-ranking trade ministers.

"They are taking steps, but it is almost an impossible task," Watson said. "They realize that it's in their best interests and our best interests to protect intellectual property. The protection of intellectual property works both ways."

During the recent recess, Watson traveled to China with House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Del. Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, D-American Samoa, chairman of the subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised a new way of doing things after she was sworn in Thursday, but the committees with which the entertainment industry mainly deals will be in control of a bunch of "old bulls."

Long-serving, powerful lawmakers have been given the nickname as opposed to the up-and-coming "young Turks." One such bull, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., the House's longest-serving member, administered the oath of office to the California Democrat, who made history as the nation's first female speaker.

Dingell will take over as chairman of the House Commerce Committee, a job he held before the GOP takeover of Congress in 1994.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., who was first elected to Congress in 1964, will chair the House Judiciary Committee.

"The Democrats are back", rejoiced Pelosi, and she immediately set the rank and file to work passing tougher ethics rules.

By custom, lawmakers brought their children to opening ceremonies in the House, and Pelosi swept into the chamber accompanied by her grandchildren.

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised a new way of doing things after she was sworn in Thursday, but the committees with which the entertainment industry mainly deals will be in control of a bunch of "old bulls."

Long-serving, powerful lawmakers have been given the nickname as opposed to the up-and-coming "young Turks." One such bull, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., the House's longest-serving member, administered the oath of office to the California Democrat, who made history as the nation's first female speaker.

Dingell will take over as chairman of the House Commerce Committee, a job he held before the GOP takeover of Congress in 1994.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., who was first elected to Congress in 1964, will chair the House Judiciary Committee.

"The Democrats are back", rejoiced Pelosi, and she immediately set the rank and file to work passing tougher ethics rules.

By custom, lawmakers brought their children to opening ceremonies in the House, and Pelosi swept into the chamber accompanied by her grandchildren.

WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan Senate duo plans to introduce legislation today that would make it a felony to use a camcorder to record a motion picture in a theater and make it easier to prosecute people who illegally distribute copyrighted material before its legitimate release. The Artists' Rights and Theft Prevention Act, sponsored by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is the latest attempt by lawmakers to address some of the problems created by copyright piracy. "Copyright piracy is a serious threat not only to the entertainment industry but also to a U.S. economy struggling to get back on its feet," Cornyn said Wednesday. The Artists' Rights and Theft Prevention Act joins a separate piece of legislation sponsored by Reps. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Howard Berman, D-Calif., that includes language making camcording a federal offense.

Pop multi-millionaire Michael Jackson has hit out at an American proposal which would see people who download music from the internet imprisoned. The quirky legend does not agree with the proposed legislation from democrats John Conyers and Howard Berman which would make file swapping of pirated music and software a crime - with a penalty of a $256,000 and up to five years in jail. Bemused Jackson utters, "I am speechless about the idea of putting music fans in jail for downloading music. It is wrong to illegally download, but the answer cannot be jail."...