Appointing a commission to examine the Department of Homeland Security's color-coded terrorism "alert" program: good! Letting Bush terror advisor Frances Townsend head that commission: argh.

Yale lab technician Ray Clark, the only "person of interest" in the Annie Le murder so far, is free for the moment. In the last 24 hours, we've learned a lot about Ray Clark.

After last week's premiere of the new Melrose Place, we thought it was a two-bit whore. Turns out, it's a hooker with a heard of gold. OK, right now it's a heart of bronze, but it's working its way there.

It's 90's-a-go-go all over entertainment. Harvey Weinstein's pacing a festival screening lobby , Rupert Murdoch's got it all figured out, and Jay Leno is still the King just like the olden times. It's all in the trades.

Citigroup chairman Dick Parsons hasn't been all that successful in fixing the ailing bank. Although Citi indicated yesterday that plans to reduce the government's stake in the bank—and return part of the $45 billion of taxpayer money it's received—it remains the most troubled major financial institution in America. (And it continues to be led by Vikram Pandit, who is probably the worst CEO of a major financial institution that still has a full-time job.) But don't let that stop you from pursuing a little freelance work, Dick.

Jimmy Carter should know better than to just say what various columnists, politicians, and random people on the street have been saying for weeks now. You know, that race is informing the hysterical response to Obama's policy proposals.

"Survivaball." Read all about it on the website. "Worried About Climate Change? Don't sweat it." Instead, you can wear a ridiculous rubber-ball body suit to protect you from the ravages of global warming. It's an example of the world's largest corporations using engineering to replace ethics, with humorous results, etc.

[Pete Wentz hides under a gold Destro mask and carries a fake doctor's note in L.A. yesterday. Image via INF]

At Fashion Week back in February, Ashley Dupre sat in the front row at Yigal Azrouel's show. He didn't want her back this time around. But she made other arrangements to make sure she gets noticed this Fashion Week. She's now modeling, apparently. Dupre walked the runway for designer Bahar Shahpar's "eco-friendly" line yesterday afternoon. And whatever self-image issues she has (and she has many), set the girl down in the dysfunctional world of fashion and she manages to come off as healthy: "It was nice to see a model with a slightly more normal, a.k.a. curvy, body type." [Ecouterre via Gawker]

Someone whiled away his time on set looking for wild sexual encounters online. His ad is written a bit like a gay blind item though. Is it real? Can the dirty singer and a cheating couple rumors be true? Probably.

They banned smoking in bars, and people said nothing, because they did not smoke in bars, except sometimes if they were really drunk. But now NYC wants to ban smoking in parks, and lo! Smokers finally get some public sympathy.

Raymond Clark, the Yale University lab technician has been released from police custody. Clark was allowed to leave New Haven Police after being questioned about the murder of Annie Le and providing samples of his DNA.

• Broadway producer Hal Prince and his wife Judy have put their 13th-floor apartment at 834 Fifth Avenue on the market. The 4,750-square-foot duplex, which is up for sale for $33 million, comes with two bedrooms, two terraces, and neighbors like Rupert Murdoch and John Gutfreund. [NYO, FRG]
• Richard Gere and Carey Lowell are expected to close on the sale of their Water Mill home this week. The 1.2-acre property, which they first put on the market in February, had been listed for $7.2 million when it went into contract last month. [Newsday, Stribling]

Did you vote in the Democratic primary yesterday? If you didn't, you'll get another chance to make good in the next couple of weeks. A runoff election will be required to select Democratic candidates for both comptroller and public advocate since none of the candidates pulled in at least 40 percent of the vote yesterday. In the race for comptroller, the top two finishers, City Councilmen John Liu and David Yassky, will now go head to head; and Bill de Blasio and Mark Green will square off for the public advocate nomination when the special election is held on September 29.

Funny woman Amy Poehler turns 38 today. Mr. Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, is turning 41. Mickey Rourke is 53. Lauren Bacall is celebrating her 85th. Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates turns 59. Magician David Copperfield is 53. Alexis Bledel of Gilmore Girls fame is turning 28. Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers is turning 17. Artist Christopher Wool is 54. Andy Serwer, Fortune's managing editor, is turning 50. Blues legend B.B. King is 84. And the man responsible for such '80s classics as "Endless Summer Nights" and "Right Here Waiting," Richard Marx, is 46 today.

• Just as Jude Law is getting ready to play Hamlet on Broadway next month, his most recent baby mama, model Samantha Burke, has her lawyers offering up an exclusive interview and pics of their soon-to-be-born love child. Ah, there's nothing like milking a little publicity. [P6]
• Madonna bailed on Marc Jacobs' after-party at Hiro on Monday eve despite attending his show. Not to worry: Lindsay Lohan, Mischa Barton, and Rachel Zoe were all there, so there were plenty of people to stir up trouble. [NYDN]
• It looks like LiLo has made her 15-year-old sister, Ali, her new partner-in-crime when she goes out to party at night. We have a feeling this isn't going to end well. [MSNBC]
• Michelle Williams opens up about Heath Ledger's death in Vogue's October issue: "After the first year, the pain is less intense; it's less immediate... But every time I really miss him and wonder where he's gone, I just look at [Matilda]," she tells the magazine. [Vogue]

Police have taken Ray Clark, a "person of interest" in the Yale murder, into custody. Meanwhile, 20 FBI agents searched his pad for clues, like DNA evidence linking him to Annie Le's death. [WaPo]

A Christian website has found time to accuse this very site of killing liberal journalism.

Jessica Simpson hopes a coyote returns her dog. Bill hoped that Hillary would be Al's vice-president. And Jude Law's baby-mama hopes to make a buck. Good morning, and welcome to your Wednesday morning Gossip Roundup!

A Johns Hopkins student used a Samurai sword to kill an alleged home burglar.