NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Cindy McCain is teaming up with actor Ben Affleck to try to bring more attention to violence against women in Congo, as well as that country's upcoming presidential election.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An attorney for Michael Jackson's doctor says the jury in his involuntary manslaughter trial should be sequestered to prevent contamination by TV pundits - specifically Nancy Grace.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Rapper and actor Ja Rule was sentenced Monday to more than two years in federal prison for failing to file income tax returns, and said a combination of youthful inexperience, bad advice and an inability to manage fame and fortune lead to his financial troubles.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- Haitian President Michel Martelly says his 18-year-old son has released his first album. Sandro Martelly is being called "Ti-Micky," which means "Little Micky" in Haitian Creole. That's to distinguish him from his father who was known as "Sweet Micky" before he became president in May.

PHOENIX (AP) -- The rapper known as DMX will have to spend at least an extra week in an Arizona state prison for failing a drug test.

DALLAS (AP) -- A small fire above the stage has forced pop star Rihanna to cut her Dallas concert short.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- U.S. music album sales grew in the first six months of the year from a year ago, the first gain since 2004, thanks to rising sales of digital tracks and albums.

New York (AP) -- After two days of TV appearances, performances and interviews, Javier Colon, winner of NBC's singing competition "The Voice," is preparing for his next big gig: His friend's wedding.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Neo-soul artist Jill Scott brought a sassy new look, new music and a surprise performance Saturday night with soul-singer Anthony Hamilton on the second day of the Essence Music Festival.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The musicians looking for work at the city's famed Mariachi Plaza are singing a lot of ai-yai-yai's these days. With the number of gigs plummeting by more than half over the past two years, competition has gotten so cut-throat at the square that fistfights and shouting matches have erupted as musicians underbid each other to land scarce jobs. Now a group of veteran plaza musicians have banded together to form a type of mariachi labor union to stop what they call "mariachi pirates" from slashing prices to half the going rate.