Monster Mash: Breaking news and headlines

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-- A Seattle artist’s ornament is banned from the White House Christmas tree because of the embedded message, ‘Impeach Bush.’

--The Dallas Center for the Performing Arts names Mark Nerenhausen as its new chief executive.

--Bankruptcy court approves Lehman Bros.’ sale of its $8-million art collection.

--The American Institute of Architects awards its 2009 Gold Medal to Australian architect Glenn Marcus Murcutt.

--New Yorker music critic Alex Ross wins the Guardian’s 2008 book award for ‘The Rest is Noise.’

--And the Grammy nominations go to ... ‘In the Heights,’ ‘Gypsy,’ ‘South Pacific,’ ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’

--Cash-strapped MOCA adds three exhibitions to its roster.

--Some artists object to a white director for the revival of August Wilson’s ‘Joe Turner’s Come and Gone’ on Broadway.

--A portrait of a Florentine banker by little-known early-16th-century Italian artist Girolamo da Carpi, expected to fetch $294,150 at a Sotheby’s sale in London, sells for 15 times more.

--Another Broadway show announces it will close in January: This time, the revival of ‘Grease.’

--A study finds there’s a gender gap in Europe too -- female actors earn less and have shorter careers.

--A somewhat sedate Art Basel Miami kicks off.

--Tyler Perry testifies he didn’t steal material from a Texas woman’s play for his film ‘Diary of a Mad Black Woman.’

--A dispute over budget prompts a British architect to walk away from the starchitect-filled Campus of Justice project in Spain.

--Antiquities stolen by a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot are returned to Egypt.

--The Cleveland Orchestra balances its budget.

--Yabba dabba doo! A ‘Flintstones’ musical may be in the works.

--Lisa Fung

Caption: Seattle artist Deborah Lawrence with the Christmas ornament she designed for the White House tree. Credit: Associated Press