Madoff son: I didn’t suspect dad of Ponzi scheme (AP)
AP - Andrew Madoff (MAY'-dawf) says he never suspected his financier father of running a Ponzi scheme because he grew up hearing what a legend he was.
Mystery maker dubbed ‘Wireman’ in Philly art show (AP)
AP - Three decades after hundreds of strange wire-bound oddities were saved from the trash heap, an art gallery eight blocks from where they were dumped at a curb is featuring a selection of works made by a mystery artist dubbed the Philadelphia Wireman.
Steve Perry says Journey reunion not likely (AP)
AP - The resurgence of Journey and the band's hit "Don't Stop Believin'" may have given fans hope of a reunion, but former lead singer Steve Perry says that's probably not going to happen.
‘Shrek’ spinoff ‘Puss in Boots’ tops box office (AP)
AP - The "Shrek" spinoff "Puss in Boots" landed on all fours, opening with an estimated $34 million to lead the box office.
Eccentric UK broadcaster Jimmy Savile dies at 84 (AP)
AP - Veteran British broadcaster Jimmy Savile, a famously eccentric culture figure, has died at his home in northern England. He was 84.
YouTube launches broad entertainment venture (AP)
AP - YouTube is making a bold step into original programming in an entertainment venture with some 100 content creators, from Madonna to The Wall Street Journal.
Kevorkian suicide machine, paintings in NYC sale (AP)
AP - Dr. Jack Kevorkian's suicide machine and 17 paintings tied up in a legal dispute with a suburban Boston museum are among the assisted-suicide advocate's possessions going on the auction block on Friday.
Peter Jackson trying to aid ex-US death row inmate (AP)
AP - Director Peter Jackson said Friday that he was working with a high-profile former American death row inmate in hopes of getting the man a complete pardon.
Steve Martin tweets coming in book form (AP)
AP - Steve Martin's tweets are coming out in book form, like it or not.
Collaborating with Lou Reed ’scary’ for Metallica (AP)
AP - Metallica and the word "scared" don't usually go together.
China limits ‘overly entertaining’ TV programming (AP)
AP - China plans to limit reality TV shows and other light fare shown on satellite television stations as part of a drive to wrest back Communist Party control over cultural industries that have fueled more independent viewpoints.
Bruce Willis expecting a baby with wife Emma (AP)
AP - Bruce Willis is adding to his brood.
Coroner: Amy Winehouse died from too much alcohol (AP)
AP - Amy Winehouse drank herself to death.
APNewsBreak: Stevie Wonder headlines NYE in Vegas (AP)
AP - Music legend Stevie Wonder plans to headline in Sin City on New Year's Eve, playing to a ballroom crowd at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and to thousands of revelers on the Las Vegas Strip by video.
CBS: Andy Rooney hospitalized in serious condition (AP)
AP - Andy Rooney, who delivered his last essay on "60 Minutes" three weeks ago, was in the hospital Tuesday after developing serious complications following surgery.
Police admit mix-up with Winehouse inquest info (AP)
AP - British police say there has been a slight mix-up ahead of an inquest into the death of soul diva Amy Winehouse.
Tension boils over in the ballroom on ‘Dancing’ (AP)
AP - The latest episode of "Dancing With the Stars" included insults, an animal comparison and two nearly perfect performances.
Murphy hopes ‘not to drop the ball’ as Oscars host (AP)
AP - With four months to go until the Academy Awards, Eddie Murphy is already feeling the pressure about hosting the ceremony.
U2 honored as ‘Greatest Act’ in last 25 years (AP)
AP - Rock icons U2 have something new to brag about — winning Q Magazine's Greatest Act of the Last 25 Years award.
Jackson doctor’s defense case expected to start (AP)
AP - Defense attorneys for the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death are expected to begin calling witnesses in their case Monday after they finish grilling a key prosecution expert.
`Paranormal 3′ scares up record $54 million debut (AP)
AP - "Paranormal Activity 3" didn't just go bump in the night. It made a ton of noise at the box office with a record-setting, $54 million opening.
`Paranormal Activity 3′ scares up huge $54M debut (AP)
AP - "Paranormal Activity 3" didn't just go bump in the night. It made a ton of noise at the box office with a record-setting, $54 million opening.
Edmundo Ros, who took Latin sound to London, dies (AP)
AP - He introduced wartime Britain to the percussive rhythm of the rumba, so capturing the nation's imagination that its young princess chose his songs for her public dancing debut.
Pete Seeger and pals attend NYC protest action (AP)
AP - Folk music legend Pete Seeger joined in the Occupy Wall Street protest Friday night, replacing his banjo with two canes as he marched with throngs of people in New York City's tony Upper West Side past banks and shiny department stores.
British lawmaker grills News. Corp CEO at event (AP)
AP - British lawmaker Tom Watson grilled News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch about covert surveillance techniques by company employees as News Corp. held its first shareholders meeting following a phone-hacking scandal.
Jackson doc’s defense to finally question expert (AP)
AP - For several moments, the milky white substance that authorities say killed Michael Jackson dripped down into an IV line a few feet away from jurors.
5 great `Sesame Street’ celebrity appearances (AP)
AP - The documentary "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey" opens this week, about every toddler's favorite red monster and the man who brings him to life, Kevin Clash.
Expert: Swallowing propofol wouldn’t kill Jackson (AP)
AP - An expert in the powerful anesthetic blamed for Michael Jackson's death told jurors Thursday there is no way the pop star could have caused his own death by swallowing the drug, a theory defense attorneys had suggested might be a centerpiece of their case.
Friends remember Joseph Heller and ‘Catch-22′ (AP)
AP - Fifty years after the publication of "Catch-22," author Joseph Heller is long dead and his editor has finally gotten around to re-reading it.
Hollywood groups unite behind Iranian filmmakers (AP)
AP - Hollywood organizations and entertainment unions are uniting in support of filmmakers jailed in Iran.
Review: `Martha’ one of year’s most haunting films (AP)
AP - "Martha Marcy May Marlene" is a tongue twister of a title that makes chilling sense as the film unfolds. In quiet, intimate ways, it is one of the most startling, haunting films you'll see all year.
Testimony to resume in Jackson doctor’s trial (AP)
AP - The trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death will resume Wednesday after days of delay, with jurors hearing from a leading expert on the powerful anesthetic that authorities contend killed the King of Pop.
Prosecutor to call for jail time for Lohan (AP)
AP - A city prosecutor will ask a judge to find Lindsay Lohan in violation of her probation and order her to spend time in jail, a city attorney's spokesman said Tuesday.
Jazz, TV composer Pete Rugolo dies at 95 (AP)
AP - Pete Rugolo, an Emmy- and Grammy-winning composer and arranger who worked with greats such as Miles Davis and Benny Goodman, has died. He was 95.
Naomi Campbell honored at Gabrielle Angel Ball (AP)
AP - Naomi Campbell put her bad-girl reputation aside as she was honored by the Gabrielle Angel Foundation.
‘Real Steel’ repeats as box-office champ with $16M (AP)
AP - Robot boxers defended their box-office title as "Real Steel" took in $16.3 million to remain the No. 1 movie for the second-straight weekend.
Giuliana Rancic says she has breast cancer (AP)
AP - "E! News" co-host Giuliana Rancic (RAN'sik) says she has early stages of breast cancer.
‘Mighty Macs’ movie follows same underdog path (AP)
AP - Here's a sports fairy tale that never gets old: Underdog team with few resources but a lot of heart beats the odds and comes out on top.
Former Hollywood super-agent Mengers dies (AP)
AP - Sue Mengers, a former Hollywood super-agent whose clients included Barbra Streisand, Cher, Michael Caine and Joan Collins, has died. Mengers claimed to be 78, though some sources listed her age as 81.
Pee Wee, Potter, Vader honored at Scream Awards (AP)
AP - Heroes and villains from the worlds of horror, fantasy and sci-fi shared the stage at Spike TVs annual Scream Awards.
Environmental Media Association honors green shows (AP)
AP - The Environmental Media Association has recognized six Hollywood productions for spreading the word about going green.
Jackson’s dermatologist says Murray fallout hurts (AP)
AP - Dr. Arnold Klein hovers over a 50-year-old woman, a syringe filled with the promise of youth in hand and a look of concentration on his face. At this moment he appears a contented man.
Rapper Rick Ross reportedly hospitalized 2nd time (AP)
AP - Rapper Rick Ross was reportedly hospitalized in Alabama on Friday evening after suffering two medical scares in six hours that required planes to be diverted.
Rapper Rick Ross tweets he’s OK after health scare (AP)
AP - Rapper Rick Ross tweeted Friday afternoon that he will still perform in Memphis, Tenn., later in the evening despite a medical emergency hours earlier that caused the plane he was aboard to return to Florida so he could be taken to the hospital.
UK judge nixes ‘Lady Goo Goo’ after Gaga lawsuit (AP)
AP - Pop star Lady Gaga has won an injunction stopping the makers of an online children's game from promoting an animated character called Lady Goo Goo.
Americana nods just start of good times for Cook (AP)
AP - Elizabeth Cook thinks there may be something fishy going on. She's been through the broken-dreams thing before and she has no reason to trust these TV people out in Los Angeles who've started chatting her up.
Doctor: Drug ‘cocktail’ killed Michael Jackson (AP)
AP - Dr. Conrad Murray's use of a cocktail of drugs on Michael Jackson as he struggled to fall asleep on the day he died was a "recipe for disaster" and ultimately caused his death, a UCLA sleep therapy expert testified Thursday.
Maestro Muti in Sweden to accept $1M music prize (AP)
AP - The Italian conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Riccardo Muti, says he had admired late Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson almost all his life before becoming the second-ever laureate to receive the $1 million award established in her name.
Defense drops claim Jackson swallowed fatal dose (AP)
AP - Dr. Conrad Murray's defense on Wednesday abandoned a theory that it touted for over a year that Michael Jackson swallowed the drug that killed him, an abrupt shift in strategy that potentially undermines its case.
London Film Fest opens with Law, Weisz in ‘360′ (AP)
AP - A Brazilian director, an international cast and three made-in-Britain Hollywood stars — the London Film Festival opened Wednesday with "360," a tale of intertwined romances on several continents.
Muslim comic series aims to break through in US (AP)
AP - Comic book fans might call it a great origin story: In the aftermath of 9/11, a Muslim man creates a comic book series, "The 99," inspired by the principles of his faith. It builds a global audience and investors contribute millions for it to continue and expand.
Richard Gere guitar collection fetches $1M in NYC (AP)
AP - A collection of American vintage guitars owned by actor Richard Gere has fetched nearly $1 million at auction in New York City.
Coroner: Jackson didn’t give himself fatal dose (AP)
AP - A medical examiner, striking a major blow to the defense of Michael Jackson's doctor, said Tuesday it is unreasonable to believe Jackson could have given himself a fatal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol.
Pop sensation Rain joins South Korean army (AP)
AP - South Korean pop star Rain bid farewell to tearful fans Tuesday as he put one of Asia's most successful entertainment careers on hold to enter boot camp and begin nearly two years of military service.
A favored partner leaves his ballerinas at NYCB (AP)
AP - At farewell performances for its retiring dancers, New York City Ballet tends to suddenly feel like a big family, with everyone home for Thanksgiving, bearing flowers and hugs and snapping photos.
Eisner establishes $100K intergenerational prize (AP)
AP - He made a small fortune, and then some, crafting entertainment baby boomers couldn't get enough of.
Netflix kills plan to split off DVD rentals (AP)
AP - Netflix Inc. is abandoning its widely panned decision to separate its DVD-by-mail and Internet streaming services because it would make them more difficult to use.
Zsa Zsa Gabor could leave LA hospital this week (AP)
AP - Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband says the 94-year-old actress is resting after undergoing an operation at a Los Angeles hospital where she also is being treated for an infection.
Paul McCartney weds in nostalgia-filled ceremony (AP)
AP - A hint of autumnal Beatlemania was in the air Sunday as Paul McCartney, for the second time in his improbable life, climbed the steps of venerable Old Marylebone Town Hall to take himself a bride.
Media anticipate Paul McCartney to wed in London (AP)
AP - Dozens of paparazzi crowded the steps of a central London town hall Sunday in anticipation that former Beatle Paul McCartney was getting married to American heiress Nancy Shevell.
Michael Jackson’s children appear at tribute show (AP)
AP - Chart-toppers, soul singers and three generations of Michael Jackson's family — including his children — celebrated the King of Pop at an energetic tribute concert Saturday, urging fans to focus on the late star's music rather than his death.
iTunes great for Apple, but was it for music biz? (AP)
AP - When Apple rolled out iTunes for the masses in the spring of 2003, the music industry was at a point of transition — and chaos.
Signs Paul McCartney wedding may be near (AP)
AP - A tent is being set up and party decorations are being delivered to Paul McCartney's house amid speculation that the former Beatle will marry fiancee Nancy Shevell in central London this weekend.
Threat averted: Fox renews ‘Simpsons’ for 2 years (AP)
AP - Fans of "The Simpsons" can breathe a "d'oh!" of relief: The animated series was renewed Friday for two more seasons.
‘Simpsons’ actor: Cut my salary to keep show going (AP)
AP - One of the voice actors on "The Simpsons" said Friday that he's willing to cut his salary by 70 percent in exchange for a taste of the production's profits in order to keep the show going beyond this season.
Stars bring Hank’s ‘Lost Notebooks’ to life (AP)
AP - Over the years, Holly Williams never felt much of a connection to her grandfather. So when she slipped on a pair of white gloves and lifted one of Hank Williams' old spiral-bound notebooks to inspect its pages full of careful cursive script recently at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, she was a little bit startled to feel a deep visceral reaction.
Actor’s son pleads not guilty to drug, gun charges (AP)
AP - Griffin O'Neal, son of actor Ryan O'Neal, has pleaded not guilty to drug and firearm possession and driving under the influence stemming from a head-on traffic collision that injured a motorist two months ago.
Swedish poet Transtromer wins Nobel in literature (AP)
AP - The 2011 Nobel Prize in literature was awarded on Thursday to Tomas Transtromer of Sweden, whose surrealistic works about the mysteries of the human mind won him wide recognition as the most influential Scandinavian poet of recent decades.
George Clooney for President? No Chance. (AP)
AP - George Clooney may have an interest in politics, both on-screen and off, but public office is one role he'd never take on.
‘I am asleep’ Jackson heard in slurring audio (AP)
AP - Prosecutors played a recording Wednesday in which Michael Jackson is heard discussing his plans to build a hospital for children in a rambling, slurred conversation with the doctor charged in his death roughly six weeks before the entertainer died.
Roger Ailes looks back on 15 years of Fox News (AP)
AP - As the most powerful man in the universe, or one of them anyway, Roger Ailes can look back on the first 15 years of his crowning achievement, Fox News Channel, with satisfaction. And he does.
Another ‘Dancing’ star heads for the hills (AP)
AP - Kristin Cavallari is heading off into the hills. The reality starlet was dismissed from "Dancing With the Stars" Tuesday.
Singer Stevie B denies Mass. child support figure (AP)
AP - Singer Stevie B is disputing a claim he owes more than $400,000 in child support but says he's "moving forward" after being arrested and spending several days in a Massachusetts jail.
Chaz Bono struggles, Ricki Lake soars on `Dancing’ (AP)
AP - "Dancing With the Stars" contestants were asked to perform routines that reflected the most meaningful time in their lives, and when the dancing was done, Ricki Lake was in first place and Chaz Bono was in last — just like last week.
Sondheim, dinosaurs combine for NY charity gala (AP)
AP - A treasure hunt devised by composer Stephen Sondheim prompted hundreds of people, including Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, to scamper through the dinosaur section of the American Museum of Natural History on Monday night.
ER doc: Jackson physician never mentioned propofol (AP)
AP - An emergency room physician told jurors Monday that Michael Jackson's doctor never mentioned that he had given the singer the powerful anesthetic propofol, but acknowledged the disclosure probably wouldn't have saved the King of Pop.
Matt and Trey: goin’ down to ‘South Park’ again (AP)
AP - On the other hand, it takes Matt Stone and Trey Parker seven of them to create a "South Park" episode. But then they get no day of rest before they start on the next episode.
‘Arrested Development’ announces new show, movie (AP)
AP - The Bluth family's frozen banana stand may be back in business.
‘Dolphin’ deposes ‘Lion’ with $14.2M to grab No. 1 (AP)
AP - A dolphin has dethroned "The Lion King" at the weekend box office.
Gene Simmons and longtime girlfriend marry (AP)
AP - Rocker Gene Simmons and his longtime girlfriend, actress Shannon Tweed, have tied the knot.
Beloved Mexican comic ‘Capulina’ dies at age 85 (AP)
AP - The beloved Mexican comic known as "Capulina" died Friday at age 85, after a six-decade career as Mexico's equivalent of funny fat man Oliver Hardy.