LOS ANGELES — Kanye West used Jay Leno's prime-time debut yesterday to offer another apology for ruining Taylor Swift's night at the MTV Video Music Awards and to say he's going to take some time off for reflection.

West said he knew he was wrong the moment he handed the microphone back to Swift, when he was bathed in boos. He had interrupted Swift on Sunday as she accepted a best female video award for "You Belong With Me," arguing that Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" was more deserving.

"It was rude, period," West said. He posted a second apology to Swift on his blog yesterday, and told Leno he wanted to apologize to the country music star in person.

Meanwhile, Internet sites reported that President Obama called West a "jackass" during an off-the-record part of a CNBC interview that was disclosed on Twitter by ABC News reporter Terry Moran.

WHITNEY ADMITS USING DRUGS WITH BOBBY

CHICAGO — Whitney Houston took drugs, including cocaine and marijuana, with ex-husband Bobby Brown, who was emotionally abusive during their marriage and at one point spit on her, the singer said during an interview that aired yesterday on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

"I had so much money and so much access to what I wanted," Houston told Winfrey. "I didn't think about the singing part anymore. I was looking for my young womanhood."

Houston's career stalled as she grappled with drug problems and a troubled marriage to Brown. The couple married in 1992 and were divorced in 2007.

UKRAINE SAYS ELTON JOHN CAN'T ADOPT TOT

KIEV, Ukraine — Elton John can't adopt a 14-month-old HIV-positive child from Ukraine because the pop star is too old and isn't married, the government said yesterday.

John, 62, announced his desire after meeting the boy, named Lev, while touring an orphanage Saturday as part of an anti-AIDS charity project.

But Family, Youth and Sports Minister Yuriy Pavlenko said the adoption will not happen because Ukrainian law requires a parent to be no more than 45 years older than an adopted child. John and his partner, David Furnish, tied the knot in 2005 in a civil union in Britain, but Pavlenko said Ukraine does not recognize gay unions as marriage.