Senate committee approves PBS funds
WASHINGTON, July 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has somewhat allayed fears of drastic budget cuts for public broadcasting by approving $551 million in funding.
The spending package approved Thursday would fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting near current levels and pay for technology upgrades and children's programming, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.
The U.S. House at first reduced public broadcasting's funding by 46 percent, but later restored about half the cuts.
The Senate is expected to consider its Appropriations Committee's version in the coming weeks and, if approved, will have to come to a compromise with the House funding plan.
'Potter' fans anxiously await release
LONDON, July 15 (UPI) -- "Harry Potter" fans began the countdown Friday to the release of the "Half-Blood Prince," a book poised to smash sales records spanning the globe.
Book stores in as many as 15 countries were to open their doors at 12:01 a.m. Saturday for the release of the anxiously awaited sixth installment in J.K. Rowling's series about the boy wizard, the BBC said Friday.
Rowling was to lead the celebration in Edinburgh, Scotland, reading to 70 children at midnight. Footage of the event will be broadcast live at Barnes and Noble in New York City, one of more than 5,000 release party sites in the United States.
New York's Toys R Us in Times Square is being transformed into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and a release party in the Chicago suburb of Mount Prospect, is expected to draw more than 10,000 fans.
A total 10 million copies of the book are expected to fly off U.S. bookshelves Saturday with British sales expected to be around 2 million, the BBC said.
Libel suit against Michael Moore dismissed
DETROIT, July 15 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Detroit has dismissed a libel suit filed against filmmaker Michael Moore by the brother of convicted Oklahoma City bomber Terry Nichols.
James Nichols was arrested six days after the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people. He was released after 32 days and charges of possession of unlicensed firearms were later dismissed. His brother, Terry, was convicted of being a co-conspirator and is serving life in prison without parole.
James Nichols filed suit in 2003, claiming he was libeled and defamed in Moore's Oscar-winning documentary, "Bowling for Columbine."
But U.S. District Judge Paul D. Boreman dismissed the suit Thursday, saying the movie was "factual and substantially true," the Detroit News reported.
In his ruling, Borman said James Nichols has "all but admitted he was arrested in connection to the Oklahoma City bombing."
James Nichols' lawyer said his client may appeal.
White Stripes Greek concert blown away
ATHENS, Greece, July 15 (UPI) -- Strong winds swept a concert by the White Stripes in Athens, Greece, injuring a crew member and forcing the Detroit duo to halt the gig.
Meg and Jack White were performing at the Olympic Beach Volleyball Stadium Thursday night when high winds sent the lights swaying and nearly collapsed the stage, NME.com reported.
The crew member was injured when hit by scaffolding blown loose, but further details were not immediately available.
After two unsuccessful attempts to secure the stage, the band decided to end the concert.
"It was incredibly windy, and definitely would have been dangerous if the show had continued," a White Stripes spokesman in Greece told NME. "The band did the right thing."
