April 12 is a good day to celebrate if you're a fan of high-school TV dramas that may or may not have changed your life. Claire "Angela Chase" Danes ("My So Called Life") and Shannen "Brenda Walsh" Doherty ("Beverly Hills, 90210") share a birthday.

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Claire Danes, left, and Shannen Doherty.

Danes is turning 34 years old, 18 years after her short-lived show went off the air after just 19 episodes. The actress has certainly gone on to bigger and better things, winning Emmys and Golden Globes along the way for her film and television work. She is currently the star of the critically acclaimed Showtime series "Homeland."

But we'll always scribble a special tribute to Angela Chase in our notebooks or lockers. The famed redhead's wisdom beyond her years is what made "My So Called Life" such a success, and helped the show develop its cult following. If only Jordan Catalano didn't take so long to figure out what we all knew.

Doherty is turning 42 years old. Five years before we got to know Angela Chase, Brenda Walsh and her pals put a zip code on the map when "Beverly Hills, 90210" started in 1990. The series ran for 10 years and made Doherty and Luke Perry and Jason Priestley and Tori Spelling bonafide stars.

Doherty won us over with roles in "Heathers" and "Mallrats" and the TV series "Charmed," but against our better judgement, we followed Dylan's lead and fell for "Beverly Hills" Brenda, the girl next door ... who manages to get herself written off the show.

Doherty's personal life made headlines over the years as the actress racked up a DUI bust, two very short marriages and a few appearances in Playboy. Oh, Brenda. You should have stayed in Minnesota.

Birthdays are a big deal in high school. So cast your vote below for whose party you'd rather attend.

Rapper Jay-Z is using his art to respond to criticism about his and wife Beyonce's recent trip to Cuba on their fifth anniversary. The tune released Thursday, "Open Letter," includes lines such as "I done turned Havana to Atlanta" and "I'm in Cuba, I love Cubans. This Communist talk is so confusing when it's from China, the very mic that I'm using."

The song also includes lines that imply the White House had a hand in giving him and his wife the clearance to travel to Havana. For example: "Boy from the hood, but got White House clearance" and "Obama said, 'Chill, you gonna get me impeached.' "

During Thursday's White House briefing, Press Secretary Jay Carney denied the song's suggestion that there was any White House involvement in Jay-Z and Beyonce's trip.

"I guess nothing rhymes with Treasury, because Treasury offers and gives licenses for travel, as you know, and the White House has nothing to do with it," he said in response to a reporter's question. "The White House, from the president on down, had nothing to do with anybody's personal -- anybody's travel to Cuba. ... The president did not communicate with Jay-Z over this trip."

"Open Letter" is available online at LifeAndTimes.com. (Warning: The song is not for those with ears sensitive to curse words.)

On Tuesday, the Department of the Treasury confirmed that the superstar couple's trip to Cuba was sanctioned. "It is our understanding that the travelers in question traveled to Cuba pursuant to an educational exchange trip," the Treasury's assistant secretary for legislative affairs wrote.

While in Havana, the famous pair dined at La Guarida, walked through colonial Old Havana and took photos with schoolchildren. 

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LILONGWE -- The Malawi government has branded pop star Madonna an "uncouth" bully who exaggerates her charitable work in the country and demands preferential treatment when she visits.

Malawi President Joyce Banda's government accused the "Material Girl" of bullying officials after she complained about her latest trip to the southern African country this month.

Amos Gumulira / AFP - Getty Images

Madonna is flanked by her Malawian adopted children, David and Mercy, during her visit to Mphandula Children's Carecentre in Namitete, Malawi, on April 5.

"Among the many things that Madonna needs to learn as a matter of urgency is the decency of telling the truth," said an 11-point statement from Malawi's State House.

Media reports said Madonna and her children were forced to join a check-in queue and go through security with ordinary passengers at a Malawi airport when they left the country.

The "Holiday" singer dismissed Malawi's comments as "lies" in a statement on the website of her Raising Malawi foundation.

"I'm saddened that Malawi's President Joyce Banda has chosen to release lies about what we've accomplished, my intentions, how I personally conducted myself while visiting Malawi and other untruths," Madonna said.

Malawi said Madonna expected the government to be forever chained in an "obligation of gratitude" towards her for adopting two Malawian children and contributing to the construction of classrooms in the country.

"Kindness, as far as its ordinary meaning is concerned, is free and anonymous. If it can't be free and silent, it is not kindness; it is something else," the statement said. "Blackmail is the closest it becomes."

The singer said she came to Malawi seven years ago with honorable intentions and returned earlier this month to view the new schools built by her foundation.

"I did not ever ask or demand special treatment at the airport or elsewhere during my visit," Madonna said.

"I will not be distracted or discouraged by other people's political agendas. I made a promise to the children of Malawi and I am keeping that promise."

She said the disagreement was rooted in her history with President Banda's sister, Anjimile Mtila Oponyo, who once headed Raising Malawi. Oponyo was fired and sued the charity for wrongful termination.

The Malawi government said in its statement the current dispute had nothing to do with Oponyo, however.

"For her to accuse Mrs. Oponyo for indiscretions that have clearly arisen from her personal frustrations that her ego has not been massaged by the state is uncouth, and speaks volumes of a musician who desperately thinks she must generate recognition by bullying state officials instead of playing decent music on the stage."

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Kanye West is being accused of copyright infringement.

Did Kanye West mine another artist's work for "Gold Digger" and forget to tell anybody?

That's what the children of late Thunder & Lightning musician David Pryor claim in a multimillion-dollar copyright infringement lawsuit filed this week against West, in which they allege that he wrongfully sampled their dad's "get down" chants from the 1974 tune "Bumpin' Bus Stop." 

"Gold Digger," which most prominently borrowed from Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman," was a single off of West's 2005 album Late Registration--and Pryor's kids admit that the timing of their complaint seems a bit off. 

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"The complaint makes clear that 'Gold Digger' was released in 2005 while David Pryor was in a convalescent hospital suffering from a host of severe mental and physical disabilities, including senile dementia, cerebrovascular disease, prostate cancer, epilepsy, and diabetes," attorney Courtney M. Coates said in a statement obtained by E! News. 

"He died in May 2006 from cerebrovascular disease without having any knowledge that his voice was being exploited by other artists for commercial profit. After David Pryor died, [daughter Trena and son Lorenzo] discovered Pryor's song in late 2010, but they could not secure rights to the song until Pryor's estate was probated and a final determination of heirs was made in 2011. In 2012, the family obtained all of the necessary information required to file this substantial lawsuit against Kanye and others." 

View the lawsuit 

Coates states that the family is aware of 50 instances of Pryor's vocals being sampled in recordings and they are "putting all record companies on notice that they will be sued if they continue to steal and exploit David Pryor's vocal performance in 'Bumpin' Bus Stop' without the family's permission." 

The lawsuit, filed in L.A. Superior Court, asked for "millions of dollars" in damages from West, Roc-A-Fella Records, UMG's Island Def Jam and other corporate defendants, as well as an injunction preventing further unauthorized use of David Pryor's work. 

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Listen to the two tracks: 

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Beyonce and Jay-Z spent their fifth anniversary in Cuba.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Thursday confirmed that Beyonce and Jay-Z's controversial trip to Cuba last week was indeed sanctioned.

"It is our understanding that the travelers in question traveled to Cuba pursuant to an educational exchange trip organized by a group authorized by (the Office of Foreign Assets Control) to sponsor and organize programs to promote people-to-people contact in Cuba," Alastair M. Fitzpayne, the Treasury's assistant secretary for legislative affairs, wrote in a letter to Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart.

The letter also notes that "OFAC's regulations and guidelines require that such trips involve a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities that result in meaningful interaction between the U.S. travelers and individuals of Cuba." Visitors are allowed to "engage in non-educational activities off-hours."

The Florida representatives had contacted the Treasury with concerns about the singers' trip, writing that the U.S. travel restrictions are in place to prevent American tourism dollars being spent to support a "murderous regime."

Americans can travel to Cuba if they first obtain a license for an academic, religious, journalistic or cultural exchange trip, but may not travel there simply for tourism.

The celebrity couple was pictured visiting the island on their fifth wedding anniversary. They toured historic Old Havana and dined at an elegant Havana restaurant, and Jay-Z was photographed smoking one of Cuba's famed cigars. The stars' presence created such a stir that police were called in.

-- With additional reporting by Kelly O'Donnell

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We've spent so much time documenting what Lindsay Lohan wears to various court appearances, you can't blame our impulse to report on what she's wearing on this sunny, warm Tuesday in New York City.

The actress was all smiles as she showed up for her appearance on "Late Show With David Letterman" and struck the requisite pose outside the Ed Sullivan Theater.

Lohan sported a simple white blazer over a black top and black pants with black boots. Her red hair was pulled back behind her black Wayfarer sunglasses.

It's the actress' first appearance on "Late Show" since 2007. Her latest film, "Scary Movie 5," opens this week.

Check back later in The Clicker for more on how Lohan's interview goes.

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Country star Trisha Yearwood, 48, looked notably slim at Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards, and for good reason. The Grammy-winning singer, host of cooking show "Trisha's Southern Kitchen," has lost 20 pounds.

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Trisha Yearwood is seen at left in 2010 and at right at the recent Academy of Country Music Awards.

"I've been dieting and exercising and I've lost about 20 lbs," she told People in February. She rarely eats sugar now, though does occasionally indulge in macaroni and cheese, the singer said.

"Trisha's Southern Kitchen" airs on the Food Network, and features Yearwood's family-inspired recipes. She is the author of two cookbooks, "Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen" and "Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood."

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Mario Anzuoni / REUTERS

Olivier Martinez and Halle Berry.

When it comes to Halle Berry, mom's the word. The Oscar-winner and her fiance, Olivier Martinez, are expecting their first child together, and -- as E! News revealed last week -- the actress is pregnant with a boy and is reportedly about 12 weeks along.

Just days after word spread that Berry will be giving her 5-year-old daughter, Nahla, a little sibling, the star is speaking out for the first time about being on the baby way once again -- an experience, she says, that's been both immensely joyous and tremendously shocking.

PHOTO: Halle Berry debuts baby bump

"I feel fantastic," the 46-year-old tells CNN.

"This has been the biggest surprise of my life to tell you the truth," she adds. "I thought I was kind of past the point where this could be a reality for me. So it's been a big surprise and the most wonderful."

Berry, however, played it coy when it came to talking about the baby's gender.

"I don't know, I don't know," she said when asked whether she was having a son, stressing that all she wanted was for the baby to be "healthy."

PHOTO: See pregnant Halle as she shops in New York City

Berry sat alongside "Project Runway" czar Michael Kors as the two spoke on behalf of the U.N. World Food Programme -- an initiative that bears even deeper even resonance with Berry now that she's expecting another child.

"Especially now, being a pregnant woman and already having a child, that it's so important: what happens to the baby while they're in utero," she explains.

"And the first 1,000 days is fundamental. Good nutrition during that time period is fundamental for your baby to develop properly and normally and to live a normal life."

With an advocacy-focused mother like this, you can bet Berry's celebuspawn can look forward to a conscientious and grounded life as well.

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Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on April 7.

Wonder if Kelly Clarkson ever imagined her wedding to be a moment like this! The "American Idol" alum revealed at the ACM Awards on Sunday that her country crooner pal Blake Shelton will not only sing at her upcoming wedding -- he'll be officiating!

Clarkson, 30, told "Entertainment Tonight's" Nancy O'Dell that "The Voice" mentor will conduct her wedding to fiance Brandon Blackstock (No further details were provided).

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And rightfully so! Last December, Shelton, 36, told Hollyscoop that he had a huge hand in making sure that Clarkson's fiance popped the question in a timely manner.

"I told Brandon, man, you need to grow up and figure out that you need to marry this girl," he told the site at the time. "I am going on the record saying, I will do the music at the wedding or whatever you want to do, I'll be that guy. I will play for four hours if I have to, cause you need to get your head out of your ass and ask that girl to marry you."

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Clarkson excitedly announced her engagement to Blackstock (who is Reba McEntire's stepson) earlier that month via Twitter, with a simple tweet and a photo of her impressive canary yellow diamond ring.

"I wanted y'all to know! Happiest night of my life last night!" she tweeted on Dec. 15. "I am so lucky and am with the greatest man ever."

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Alaric Lambert / AP file

Tom Arnold and wife Ashley Groussman welcomed a baby boy Saturday morning.

Congratulations to comedian Tom Arnold, 54, and his wife, Ashley Groussman! The couple welcomed their first baby, son Jax Copeland Arnold, on Saturday, his rep confirmed to TODAY.com. 

Jax was born at 9:53 a.m., weighs 8 pounds 12 ounces, and is 21 inches. The newborn is the actor's first child. The "True Lies" and "Roseanne" star did not have any children with this three previous wives.

"Looking forward to being a 70 year old Little League Coach,"  he tweeted Saturday.

Arnold first revealed he and his wife were expecting while co-hosting "The View" in January. "I'm pregnant," he joked. "I have put on, like, 40 pounds. My wife is pregnant too. We're having a baby. ... I didn't think it was in the cards for me, to be honest, and so I was completely shocked. It's a miracle."

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Film critic Roger Ebert is remembered on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 4.

Funeral services for famed movie critic Roger Ebert will be held Monday morning in Chicago, according to a post on his website, RogerEbert.com.

The services will be held at Holy Name Cathedral, located at 730 N. State St., and will begin at 10 a.m. The event will be open to fans, though seating is first come, first served. Donations to the Ebert Foundation -- c/o Northern Trust, 50 S. LaSalle St., Chicago, 60603 -- are requested in place of flowers. The organization is a non-profit that supports arts and education programs.

Ebert died on Thursday, April 4 at age 70. Earlier in the week, he posted on his blog that he was taking a "leave of presence" for his health. The "painful fracture" he had turned out to be cancer, he revealed. The legendary critic was first diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in 2002. The following year, he underwent surgery for cancer in his salivary gland. Further procedures to remove cancerous tissue included removal of some of his jawbone.

Ebert was the film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times for 46 years. He and fellow critic Gene Siskel made popular the "thumbs up, thumbs down" quick review. Ebert also wrote books and screenplays, and was the first movie critic to win a Pulitzer Prize and receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He is survived by his wife, Chaz, two stepchildren and four grandchildren.

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Halle Berry and her fiancé Olivier Martinez are expecting a child, the actress' publicist confirmed to TODAY.com.

Kevin Winter / Getty Images file

Halle Berry and fiance Olivier Martinez are expecting their first child together.

This will be the first baby for the couple. Berry's rep said "we will not be commenting on or confirming any additional details," so if you're curious about the baby's sex or when he or she will join Berry's 5-year-old daughter Nahla (with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry), you'll have to wait.

Berry, 46, and Martinez, 47, began dating in 2010 after co-starring in the thriller "Dark Tide." They became engaged about 15 months ago. 

Berry has talked about wanting to add to her familiy as recently as November 2012, during an appearance on "The Wendy Williams Show."

"Every night, we do our prayers," Berry said. "We pray to God, so sweet. She (Nahla) says, 'God, please bring me a bunk bed and a baby sister.' And I say, 'I can do one of those things, I know for sure. The other one, we've got to keep praying on.'" 

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