Britney faces hearing Monday

With public debate over her mental state second only to the presidential primary elections these days, Britney Spears faces another hearing in her battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline for custody of her two young sons. The hearing will be held Monday, 11 days after authorities were called to Spears' home to end a bizarre standoff in which the troubled pop star refused to hand over her sons to Federline's bodyguard as schedule.

That incident led to an emotional Spears being taken away from her home in an ambulance, after which she spent nearly two days at nearby Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Following the incident, TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw chimed in and planned to dedicate a whole show to Spears until being pressured by her family not to do so.

According to a court order released Friday by Los Angeles County Superior Court, Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, asked for the police report about the incident and also requested the names of the law enforcement officers who responded.

According to the court order, the court denied a request from Spears' lawyers that the next hearing be closed to the media. That means that, unlike most of the previous hearings, Monday's proceedings could be open to the public and the media.

Donda West autopsy largely inconclusive

Two months after the sudden death of Kanye West's mother, Donda West, the final coroner's report has confirmed that the 58-year-old West's death was related to the cosmetic surgery performed on her, but did not specify an exact cause of death. The Los Angeles County Coroner's report concludes that West died of a "coronary artery disease and multiple postoperative factors due to or as a consequence of liposuction and mammoplasty."

But "the final manner of death could not be determined," and the coroner stated that there was no evidence that anesthesia contributed to her death. Dr. Jan Adams, who performed the cosmetic surgery and came under fire in the wake of the tragic incident, told TV show Extra, "What came out of the autopsy released today was exactly what I thought was going to be reported. Out of respect for Kanye West's family, I want to honor the doctor-patient confidentiality agreement."

Paula Abdul eyes Super Bowl, McPhee dumped

Paula Abdul has become better known in recent years as a judge of American Idol talent than for the singing and dancing that initially made her famous. But Fox is considering adding Abdul to its broadcast of Super Bowl XLII, with Abdul performing a song off fellow Idol judge Randy Jackson's duets album, Music Club Vol. 1, previously announced as the headliner during the game's halftime show, as well as last year's Idol winner, Jordin Sparks, who will sing the national anthem.

In other Idol news, it looks like Katharine McPhee will join the likes of Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard as Idol alums dropped by the major label connected to the hit TV show. Entertainment Weekly reported this week that RCA Records has dropped McPhee, whose sole eponymous album for the label, which dropped in late 2006, has sold only 365,500-plus copies since its release.

Report: Storch owes back taxes

Producer Scott Storch has developed a reputation in recent years for his expensive beats and lavish lifestyle. According to the New York Post, that lifestyle is at least in part due to his failure to pay more than $400,000 in back taxes to the state of Florida.

The paper reported this week that Storch's Palm Island house in Miami is listed in tax records with past-due amounts totaling $435,602 dating back to 2006. The paper also noted that a Miami art-gallery owner had to pay a visit to Storch last week to reclaim a $7,500 painting Storch had hung on his wall for four months but hadn't paid for.

Blahz sues Wyclef over "Danger" sample

Brooklyn rapper, Blahz--one-half of the '90s hip-hop duo Blahzay Blahzay--has filed a lawsuit against Wyclef Jean for copyright infringement, claiming the rapper allegedly sampled one of his past songs without permission. Blahz, best known for the 1996 song "Danger" that was propelled by the Jeru tha Damaja sample, "Da east is in the house/Oh my God," claims that a snippet of the song is included without permission in "Welcome to the East," the first song from Wyclef's 2007 album, Carnival 2.

In the lawsuit, both Wyclef and his label Sony BMG are named, and Blahz said told radio host Wendy Williams that he is seeking a "lucrative sum."

"Being a part of the music industry over the past decade has been a rewarding experience, but I've also witnessed, firsthand, artists such as myself getting taken advantage of and legally violated by record labels and 'big name' artists alike--not to mention commercial artists constantly stealing from the underground," the rapper said. "I was left with no choice but to move forward with my decision to take full legal action against Wyclef Jean, and Sony BMG, on behalf of myself and the all the artists around the world who have been the victim of blatant disrespect."

Tony Yayo faces trial

"I don't smack kids." That's the word from Tony Yayo, as told to MTV News, about his upcoming trial on charges of endangering the welfare of a child, assault, and harassment in connection with his alleged role in an incident with the then-14-year-old son of Game manager Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond in March. Yayo--real name Marvin Bernard--appeared in a New York courthouse yesterday, and a trial date was set for March 31, Yayo's birthday.

The prosecution in the case revealed that the codefendant in the case, honorary G-Unit member Lowell "Lodi Mack" Fletcher, was interviewed by the infamous New York Police Department "hip-hop squad" following his arrest in the case last year, but that police did not disclose that conversation to the district attorney's office until recently.

"Everything is good," Yayo told MTV. "I got top-notch lawyers. I don't smack kids. I got a kid on the way."