Owl found in Rockefeller Center Christmas tree
NEW YORK — It wasn’t quite a partridge in a pear tree, but a worker helping set up the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree found a holiday surprise — a tiny owl among the massive branches.
The little bird, now named what else but Rockefeller, was discovered on Monday, dehydrated and hungry, but otherwise unharmed, said Ellen Kalish, director and founder of the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, New York, where the bird was taken.
Kalish said the bird is an adult male Saw-whet owl, one of the tiniest owls. It was taken to a veterinarian on Wednesday and got a clean bill of health.
“He’s had a buffet of allyou-can-eat mice, so he’s ready to go,” she said.
She said the plan was to release the owl back to the wild this weekend.
José Feliciano marks 50 years of ‘Feliz Navidad’
LOS ANGELES —José Feliciano is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his bilingual Christmas classic “Feliz Navidad” by releasing a new version featuring Jason Mraz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Shaggy and more.
Pop balladeer Michael Bolton, Latin boy band CNCO, country duo Big & Rich, and Mexican singer and actress Patricia Manterola are among the 30 acts
who teamed up remotely for the reimagined track, which is being released Friday by Amazon Music. The collaboration of artists from different backgrounds and musical genres reflects Feliciano’s original goals for the song.
“The idea of ‘Feliz Navidad’ was to try and unite the people,” the nine-time Grammy winner said. “My thought when I wrote the song was that it didn’t matter what language you were singing
in, the feeling of Christmas is privy to all of us.”
Giannulli reports to prison in college bribery case
BOSTON — Fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli reported to prison on Thursday to begin serving his fivemonth sentence for bribing his daughters’ way into college, officials said.
Giannulli’s wife, “Full House” actor Lori Loughlin, is already behind bars for her role in the college admissions bribery scheme involving prominent parents and elite schools across the country.
She began her two-month prison term late last month.
Giannulli, 57, whose Mossimo clothing had long been a Target brand until recently, is in custody at a federal prison in Lompoc near Santa Barbara, California, a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson said. Loughlin, 56, is at the federal lockup in Dublin, California.
Singer Bobby Brown’s son found dead
LOS ANGELES — Bobby Brown Jr., the son of singer Bobby Brown, was found dead at a Los Angeles home Wednesday. He was 28.
Los Angeles Police spokesman Officer Jeff Lee said officers were responding to a medical emergency when they found Brown Jr.’s body around 1:50 p.m. at a home in Encino, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Brown Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene. Lee said police believe no foul play was involved and additional details on the death weren’t immediately released.
His son’s death is the latest in a string of misfortune for Bobby Brown.
In 2012, his ex-wife, legendary singer Whitney Houston, was found dead after drowning in a Beverly Hills hotel room bathtub. Coroner’s officials ruled her death accidental and said heart disease and cocaine were contributing factors.