Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Britney Spears Gets Visitation, but Not Custody

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A court commissioner ruled Wednesday that Britney Spears can have visits with her two sons but did not reverse an order giving temporary custody to Kevin Federline, the pop star's ex-husband, his attorney said.

Superior Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon was expected to issue an order detailing the visitation rights, attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan said. The order was not released by the time court closed for the day.

Federline attended the hearing but Spears did not. Her attorney, Sorrell Trope, did not speak to reporters.

Court spokesman Allan Parachini indicated Spears would be allowed monitored visits every other day.

Federline, 29, and Spears, 25, were ordered back to court Oct. 26 for another hearing.

Flanked by bodyguards, Federline arrived in a blue suit and wearing a black patch over his right eye, covered by a pair of sunglasses.

He had a sore eye and needed the patch to prevent glare, Kaplan said.

The hearing began with Federline standing and being sworn in by a court clerk before the courtroom was cleared of media for the private hearing.

Kaplan said Spears' attorney argued strenuously for withdrawal of the order that gave temporary custody of the boys to Federline.

Spears and Federline had shared custody of 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James.

But Monday's court order for Spears to temporarily surrender them to Federline came after she failed to produce a California driver's license and missed a court-ordered drug and alcohol test, Trope told People magazine.

A temporary driver's license was issued to Spears late Tuesday in Santa Monica, California Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman Mike Marando said Wednesday.

"She has completed her requirements for a driver's license," he said.

Among her recent problems, Spears was charged with misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run and driving without a valid license for in a crash with a parked car in August.

Spears and Federline were married in October 2004. She filed for divorce last November and it became official in July.

ordon previously ordered Spears to undergo random drug and alcohol testing twice a week after the court found she engages in "habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol."

He also previously ordered Spears to meet weekly with a "parenting coach" who was to report back to the court about her skills.

Both Spears and Federline must complete the court's "Parenting Without Conflict" class.

Spears has spiraled seemingly out of control since splitting with Federline, who also has a son and daughter with former girlfriend Shar Jackson.

First she hit the Hollywood party circuit, where she was photographed several times sans underwear.

Then she volleyed in and out of rehab, shaved her head, beat a car with an umbrella and eventually spent a month at the posh Promises rehab clinic in Malibu.

An MTV Video Music Awards performance intended as a comeback was panned, with Spears appearing lethargic.

The following week, her management firm dropped her and her divorce lawyer resigned.


Profitability Ranking of NASDAQ-100 Stocks

Profitability Ranking of NASDAQ-100 Stocks

Rank Ticker Company Name Net Margin Industry
1 CHKP Check Point Software 42% Systems Software
2 WYNN Wynn Resorts 39% Casinos & Gaming
3 LLTC Linear Technology 38% Semiconductors
4 MCHP Microchip Technology 35% Semiconductors
5 QCOM QUALCOMM 33% Communications Equipment
6 GRMN Garmin Ltd. 29% Consumer Electronics
7 BIIB Biogen Idec 29% Biotechnology
8 INFY Infosys Technologies 28% IT Consulting & Other Services
9 MSFT Microsoft 28% Systems Software
10 GOOG Google 27% Internet Software & Services
11 AMGN Amgen 27% Biotechnology
12 PAYX Paychex 27% Data Processing & Outsourcing
13 ALTR Altera 27% Semiconductors
14 LRCX Lam Research 26% Semiconductor Equipment
15 MICC Millicom Int'l Cellular 26% Wireless Telecommunications
16 PTEN Patterson-UTI Energy 25% Oil & Gas Drilling
17 MXIM Maxim Integrated Products 24% Semiconductors
18 ORCL Oracle 24% Systems Software
19 ADBE Adobe Systems 21% Application Software
20 TEVA Teva Pharmaceutical Inds. 21% Pharmaceuticals
21 CSCO Cisco Systems 21% Communications Equipment
22 RIMM Research in Motion 21% Communications Equipment
23 ISRG Intuitive Surgical 21% Healthcare Equipment
24 EBAY eBay Inc. 20% Internet Software & Services
25 XLNX Xilinx 20% Semiconductors
26 RYAAY Ryanair Holdings 19% Airlines
27 KLAC KLA-Tencor 19% Semiconductor Equipment
28 AMAT Applied Materials 18% Semiconductor Equipment
29 CTXS Citrix Systems 17% Application Software
30 ADSK Autodesk 17% Application Software
31 JOYG Joy Global 17% Construction & Farm Machinery
32 INTU Intuit 17% Application Software
33 CTSH Cognizant Tech Solutions 16% IT Consulting & Other Services
34 BMET Biomet 16% Healthcare Equipment
35 INTC Intel Corporation 16% Semiconductors
36 SIAL Sigma-Aldrich 15% Specialty Chemicals
37 ERIC LM Ericsson Telephone 15% Communications Equipment
38 SEPR Sepracor 15% Pharmaceuticals
39 NVDA NVIDIA 15% Semiconductors
40 APOL Apollo Group 14% Education Services
41 AKAM Akamai Technologies 14% Internet Software & Services
42 AAPL Apple 14% Computer Hardware
43 CELG Celgene 13% Biotechnology
44 CKFR CheckFree 13% Data Processing & Outsourcing
45 XRAY DENTSPLY Int'l 13% Healthcare Supplies
46 CDNS Cadence Design Systems 13% Application Software
47 NIHD NII Holdings 12% Wireless Telecommunications
48 JNPR Juniper Networks 11% Communications Equipment
49 BEAS BEA Systems 11% Application Software
50 FAST Fastenal Company 11% Trading Companies & Distributors
51 YHOO Yahoo! Inc. 11% Internet Software & Services
52 EXPE Expedia 11% Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines
53 LOGI Logitech Int'l S.A. 11% Computer Storage & Peripherals
54 NTAP Network Appliance 11% Computer Storage & Peripherals
55 CMCSA Comcast 11% Broadcasting & Cable TV
56 FISV Fiserv 9% Data Processing & Outsourcing
57 CTAS Cintas 9% Business Services
58 PCAR PACCAR 9% Construction & Farm Machinery
59 BBBY Bed Bath & Beyond 9% Home Furnishing Retail
60 CEPH Cephalon 9% Biotechnology
61 LINTA Liberty Media 8% Catalog Retail
62 SYMC Symantec 7% Systems Software
63 PDCO Patterson Companies 7% Healthcare Distributors
64 TLAB Tellabs, Inc. 7% Communications Equipment
65 ATVI Activision 7% Home Entertainment Software
66 SBUX Starbucks 7% Restaurants
67 BRCM Broadcom 7% Semiconductors
68 DISH EchoStar Communications 6% Broadcasting & Cable TV
69 PETM PETsMART 6% Specialty Stores
70 SPLS Staples 5% Specialty Stores
71 EXPD Expeditors Int'l 5% Air Freight & Logistics
72 DELL Dell Inc. 5% Computer Hardware
73 LAMR Lamar Advertising 4% Advertising
74 ROST Ross Stores 4% Apparel Retail
75 CHRW C.H. Robinson Worldwide 4% Air Freight & Logistics
76 LBTYA Liberty Global 4% Broadcasting & Cable TV
77 CDWC CDW Corporation 4% Technology Distributors
78 IACI IAC/InterActiveCorp 4% Internet Retail
79 SUNW Sun Microsystems 3% Computer Hardware
80 WFMI Whole Foods Market 3% Food Retail
81 ESRX Express Scripts 3% Healthcare Services
82 SHLD Sears Holdings 3% Department Stores
83 VRSN VeriSign 3% Internet Software & Services
84 SNDK SanDisk 3% Computer Storage & Peripherals
85 FLEX Flextronics Int'l 3% Electronic Manufacturing Services
86 AMZN Amazon.com 3% Internet Retail
87 MNST Monster Worldwide 2% Human Resource & Employment
88 COST Costco Wholesale 2% Hypermarkets & Super Centers
89 GENZ Genzyme 1% Biotechnology
90 UAUA UAL 1% Airlines
91 ERTS Electronic Arts 1% Home Entertainment Software
92 DISCA Discovery Holding Co. -5% Broadcasting & Cable TV
93 MRVL Marvell Technology Group -6% Semiconductors
94 VMED Virgin Media -13% Broadcasting & Cable TV
95 GILD Gilead Sciences -24% Biotechnology
96 AMLN Amylin Pharmaceuticals -29% Biotechnology
97 LVLT Level 3 Communications -34% Alternative Carriers
98 XMSR XM Satellite Radio -61% Broadcasting & Cable TV
99 SIRI Sirius Satellite Radio -87% Broadcasting & Cable TV
100 VRTX Vertex Pharmaceuticals -109% Biotechnology

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