There are some things that we don’t understand about our intern Rya. To wit: how is it possible that someone obsessed with “Gossip Girl” can also be a Blockhead? Yes, that’s right — our “GG” expert is also a huge fan of New Kids on the Block, which explains why she woke up at the crack of dawn this morning:

This morning, Manhattan’s renowned Rockefeller Center became Block-efeller center — a strip of city blocks packed with grown women who came from all ends of the Earth to witness an event a decade-and-a-half in the making: the triumphant return of the hottest pop group of yesteryear, New Kids on the Block. A month after an older, sleeker incarnation of the five men from Boston was unveiled, another curtain dropped – this time, a banner with the band’s new logo. The band performed a medley of their greatest hits and their newest cut as a part of the “Today” Summer Concert Series.

Naturally, yours truly was on the scene. I was there for the very same reason many other women were in the audience: to see a band that they were far too young to see in concert during their heyday. Quite frankly, I felt all too much like my four-year-old self as I scrambled for a better view (or for that matter, any view), got pushed around my much older fans wearing NKOTB shirts (some threadbare, presumably from being worn in heavy rotation two decades ago), yearned for face time with Joey, and sang along far too loudly to songs I didn’t realize I still knew by heart… Read more…

· T.I. and his fiancee Tameka “Tiny” Cottle welcomed a new son into the world at 12:48 a.m. this morning. The boy, Major, is T.I.’s fifth child, and his second with Cottle.

· The “American Idol” tour kicks off on July 1st.

· Gnarls Barkley will play MySpace’s 150th “secret show,” in NY on June 8th.

· If you have extra cash to blow, you might want to consider this amazing sound system, touted as “the $13,000 iPod.”

This in from Jennifer Vineyard, MTV News writer and in-depth resource on all things R. Kelly trial-related, currently embedded in Kelly’s Chicago courtroom:

R. Kelly isn’t the only one having to defend himself here: Some of the reporters covering his trial keep getting into trouble, too.

Just this week, one reporter from the Chicago Tribune had his credentials temporarily taken away because he broke a court decorum order about not conducting interviews in the courtroom. Another reporter, from local station WJMK, was reprimanded because he talked on the radio about bringing donuts for the deputies; the court thought he was mocking them and the donuts were confiscated when he brought them to the courtroom. And this morning, prior to a hearing regarding some sealed records, the judge chewed out the reporters present for — get this — allegedly leaving their gum on the court benches. “Please don’t make me do DNA on this,” Judge Vincent Gaughan said, holding up a baggy of the offending gum.

But that was kids’ stuff compared to what happened after the hearing, once Kelly and most of the reporters had cleared out. Upon receiving a call from juror #23, the judge asked for Assistant State’s Attorney Shauna Boliker and Tribune reporter Stacy St. Clair to return. He informed them that juror #23 said that since reporting for jury duty, he had received three calls from the Tribune. Read more…

Apparently, YouTube isn’t just for stupid human tricks, song covers, and crazy campaign videos anymore.

A 16-year-old girl from Florida took her case to the Internet after prosecutors in Florida dropped rape charges against her 23-year-old alleged attacker. The intense video post is titled “A 16 year old rape victim needs help,” and at this point has been viewed by nearly 300,000 people.

Of course, commenters on YouTube are well-known for being muuuuch more sympathetic than law enforcement officials and prosecutors. Comments have ranged from “She looks like she was asking for it” to “She is just a pissed-off hussie that wants the man prosecuted now that he dumped her or whatever he did to her.” Cool, guys. Thanks!

CNN picked up the story and spoke to the teenager about the whole thing. Sadly, this alleged victim’s story isn’t that uncommon: one in four young women in America have been sexually assaulted, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN). What is unusual here is the YouTube plea.

The girl has posted the alleged rapist’s criminal case number, so we know this isn’t a LonelyGirl15 situation. But what do you think about calling someone out as a rapist online? Is this an effective way to get help — or is she opening herself up to more harm than good? And should the Internet serve as a court of public opinion when the actual judicial system has failed you?

The YouTube clip in question, after the jump. Read more…

Here come the brides…Ellen DeGeneres and longtime girlfriend Portia De Rossi are getting hitched in good, old-fashioned, legally recognized style.

Ellen announced the news while taping her show yesterday –- the same day California courts ruled against a ban on gay marriages. Studio audience members cheered and gave a standing ovation as Portia watched from the sidelines. (You might remember Portia from “Ally McBeal” and, more recently, “Nip/Tuck.”)

“I’m thrilled that the California Supreme Court overturned the ban on gay marriage,” she told The Advocate magazine yesterday. “I can’t wait to get married. We all deserve the same rights, and I believe that someday…not allowing gays to marry will seem as absurd as not allowing women to vote.”

Mazel tov!

This in from Sway, who just sat down with the Game here at MTV HQ:

The Game is back and appears to be extremely focused. I enjoyed talking with him — it wasn’t really an interview, but more like two homies bringing each other up to date on life.

No matter what adversities the Game is facing in life (thoughts of suicide, beef, jail), he has always managed to create great music. Judging from the songs I’ve heard already and the song concepts and featured artists L.A.X. has to offer, it seems that he’s on his way to another quality project.

Talking about the bigger picture, the Game also said that, in this day and era, it’s impossible for anybody not to be political. So to answer your question: the man endorses Obama.

For more on the Game and the seriously anticipated L.A.X., check back with MTVNews.com.

All this week in Newsroom, we’ve been obsessed with the Davids of the world sticking their fingers in the eyes of the many Goliaths standing in the way. We’ve had the 19-year-old mayor, the diminutive hook-handed progressive, the plus-size model, and that girl who won a team track meet all by herself.

Today’s matchup: Oscar vs. the Olympics.

It used to be that so-called “disabled” athletes were kept out of the Olympic Games because, well, they had a pretty huge disadvantage due to their “handicap.” Since most would not have been able to qualify, this never became much of an issue.

Enter Oscar Pistorius! A double-amputee sprinter from South Africa who had his legs amputated below the knees when he was just 11 months old. Oscar uses specially designed carbon fiber prosthetic blades for running. This past January, the International Association of Athletics Federation banned him from so-called “able-bodied” competition because, it was argued, his prosthetics gave him an unfair advantage over other (able-bodied) athletes. Oh, how the tables have turned…

But earlier today, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (who knew there were so many legal institutions devoted to sports?) ruled that Oscar may indeed resume his Olympic dream. Score for the little guy!

Oscar could still be a long way from his Olympic goal of competing in individual competition, though. While he holds the 400-meter Paralympic world record at 46.56 seconds, that’s still short of the 45.55 second Olympic qualifying standard — not to mention the fact that all of this legal wrangling has disrupted his training regimen. But even if he doesn’t qualify, all hope is not lost. Oscar can still make it to Beijing if the South African 4×400-meter relay team qualifies and he is selected to run with the six-person team.

What do you think? Should Oscar be allowed to run in the Olympics if he qualifies? Or do his prosthetics give him an unfair advantage?

Check out the clip of Oscar running (above), with a killer “Chariots of Fire”-type soundtrack. Seriously, we think Oscar’s the track equivalent of Kanye West.

This in from MTV News producer Michelle Rabinowitz:

A couple of years ago, (former) MTV News correspondent Gideon Yago and I got to try out this really cool virtual-reality video game some scientists were using to treat veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). (You can see Gideon checking out the game’s graphics in the clip above.) Our own Stephen Totilo even wrote a killer article about it.

So, when about a dozen people emailed me the recent New Yorker feature on the same topic, I’ve been more than happy to redirect them back to our original coverage. Yo, New Yorker, we call first!!

Anyway, the set-up is a mod of “Full Spectrum Warrior,” and boy was it nerve-wracking. I almost peed my pants a couple of times — and we were using the incomplete setup of just a controller and the virtual-reality helmet! The full set-up includes a rumble mat and odor machine with authentic Iraq War scents such as “body odor” and “burning.” Um, good times!

You have to respect the men and women who can handle this in the real world…

Ever since we posted asking for you to vote on the hottest MCs right now, we’ve been flooded with comments. And y’all are intense! Every rapper on the list has been picked apart with fire, and you’ve battled it out for a couple not even in our lineup.

Some of you had major issues with our 2007 Hottest MC Lil Wayne, saying the man’s all hype and waiting for the proof of his talent on the much-delayed Tha Carter III. Fresh said Weezy’s just “getting bigger and bigger over hype alone. His a cappella freestyles are horrible, and that for me is letdown…He’ll [be] no.1 next year if his album’s dope.”

There were a lot of shout-outs to the Game, with Chris Hasso writing in, “Once Game’s L.A.X. album drops, it will be right up there with Tha Carter 3.” And Mario said, “Only 3 albums deep, and he’s the best lyrical West Coast rapper ever.”

And plenty of people pushed for Lupe Fiasco and Black Thought as MCs known for lyrics that go beyond girls and game. As Prophet J put it, “Lupe talks about real life s*** and explains it with more passion than anybody I’ve heard.” While Checkitout backed up Black Thought: “This guy has been spitting lyrical prowess under your nose for 20 years now!! Give him his just!!” And Josh got critical about the “hottest” MCs as being “hot for the dollars, not for the cause.”

Even more folks were riled up about Soulja Boy being in the poll. “He doesn’t even rap, just mutters 3 lines in a song,” Taf wrote. And Eye said, “I’m disgusted in the committee even considering Soulja Boy an MC — that’s like saying MC Brains, Hammer or Luke are MCs just because they make hip-hop music, no! It doesn’t work that way!” But NV stepped in: “The boy is dumb popular with the kids, and we were all there a while ago…We have to consider him because he is fire in the South.”

Whoever you’re rooting for, remember to tune in to see the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust go at it tonight, May 16, at 10 p.m. ET on MTV, when MTV News Presents the second edition of “The Hottest MCs in the Game.”

And if you haven’t voted yet, head to our poll, after the jump. Read more…

· Further proof that “American Idol” is having a rough season: next year the Wednesday results show will be cut down to 30 minutes.

· More awkward news for “Idol”: Ex-Idol Taylor Hicks hasn’t had the best time as a pop star, so he’s headed to the home of many “Idol” refugees. Meet Broadway’s new, um, Teen Angel.

· Britney Spears and Mel Gibson, the most unlikely BFF’s ever, are on vacation together in Costa Rica.

· Jammie Thomas, the woman who was the first defendant to be tried in one of the RIAA’s file-sharing lawsuits –- which resulted in a $222,000 judgment against her –- may get a new trial.