Brolin cited for battery

Los Angeles — Actor Josh Brolin was cited for misdemeanor domestic battery over the weekend after his wife, actress Diane Lane, called police during an argument at the couple’s home.

Brolin, the son of actor James Brolin and stepson of Barbra Streisand, was arrested around 3 a.m. Sunday and released on $20,000 bail.

The city attorney is reviewing the case and no charges have been filed, a spokesman said. Domestic battery is a misdemeanor.

Kelly Bush, the couple’s spokeswoman, said the incident was a “misunderstanding” and the couple had reconciled.

Jackson case still on

Santa Maria, Calif. — A judge Monday rejected a defense motion to dismiss the child molestation case against pop star Michael Jackson because his rights allegedly were violated by a flurry of searches.

Defense attorney Robert Sanger said authorities had executed more than 100 search warrants — including a raid earlier this month on Jackson’s Neverland estate near Los Olivos.

Prosecutors countered that 92 of the warrants targeted business records and did not involve searches of Jackson’s property.

Judge Rodney S. Melville sided with prosecutors. “There was probable cause and they were carried out in a normal manner,” he said.

Melville did, however, grant a defense request for a list of people considered for the grand jury that indicted Jackson; his lawyers are trying to determine whether blacks and Hispanics were excluded.

Get your reality here

New York — The latest “Apprentice” has been hired and the newest “Survivor” has, well, survived. But fans shouldn’t fret. In the downtime before the next installments, they can own a piece of reality TV history.

Props from NBC’s “The Apprentice” and CBS’ “Survivor” are now available on eBay with proceeds benefiting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which battles AIDS at 500 sites in 17 countries.

Executive producer Mark Burnett has donated props from “Survivor” since he traveled to Africa for the third season and saw the plight firsthand.

“The Apprentice” items range from Planet Hollywood mini-basketballs, which were signed by first season runner-up Kwame Jackson, to smocks worn during second season candy bar and ice cream tasks. “Survivor: Vanuatu — Islands of Fire” props include camp supplies, torches and flags.

Harry Potter book finished

New York — Harry Potter readers, here’s an extra special holiday gift: J.K. Rowling announced Monday that she has completed the sixth Potter novel, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

Rowling, who posted a message to her readers on her Web site, noted that while she is pregnant with her third child, she has had the time “needed to tinker with the manuscript to my satisfaction and I am as happy as I have ever been with the end result. I only hope you feel it was worth the wait when you finally read it.”

Rowling’s U.S. publisher, Scholastic Inc., said a release date would be announced this morning.