Chicago's Lyric Opera to premiere 'Bel Canto'

Best-selling author Ann Patchett's "Bel Canto," the story of terrorists taking hostages at a South American embassy, will find a home on the stage, the Lyric Opera of Chicago announced Tuesday.

Oscarcast rewards ABC with week's top-rated show

Billed as Hollywood's biggest night, the Academy Awards telecast was also TV's biggest show last week, helping crown ABC as overall prime-time winner.

Dion cancels more Vegas shows on doctor's orders

Singer Celine Dion has canceled more shows at Las Vegas' Caesars Palace, citing a virus causing an inflammation of her vocal cords.

Did a Plane Drop Human Excrement Over New York’s Long Island?

Was the black sludge that reportedly  fell on Artie Hughes and his wife as they sat on their porch in Malverne, N.Y., human waste from the plane passing above them? It’s possible. And it wouldn’t be the first time  people on the ground got pelted by what...

New images show Ike's DC memorial amid criticism

New images and documents released to The Associated Press reveal key elements of a planned Dwight D. Eisenhower monument that have been overshadowed by criticism of one section of the design.

Oscars to go under hammer despite protest

A US auction house is selling a collection of Oscar statuettes valued at over $1 million two days after the Academy Awards, despite an official protest, organizers and a report said Monday.

Review: Tyrell crafts romantic soundtrack with CD

Steve Tyrell, "I'll Take Romance" (Concord)

Free Pancakes for IHOP’s National Pancake Day

If the thought of pancakes with maple syrup makes your mouth water, listen up:  IHOP has declared its own special pancake day, and customers who visit the restaurant today get a free stack of buttermilk pancakes.  In exchange, customers are asked to make a donation...

The top 10 songs and albums on the iTunes Store

iTunes' Official Music Charts for the week ending Feb. 27, 2012:

Paintings Hitler bought found in Czech Republic

A five-year search by a Czech author has discovered that 16 paintings in the Czech Republic were once owned by Adolf Hitler.