Giuliana Rancic has cancer surgery

"E! News" host Giuliana Rancic underwent breast cancer surgery Thursday and is now recovering, her husband, Bill, told NBC's "Today."

"She's a trouper," he said of his wife's double lumpectomy. "She pulled through it and was kind of relieved to get it over with and get the cancer out."

He added that Giuliana, 36, hopes to return to work at E! next week. She revealed her fight against cancer Monday on "Today."
DSO player on the move?

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra might be losing another principal musician. Alexander Hanna, 25, has won the audition for principal bass for the Minnesota Orchestra, according to www.adaptistration.com, the Web site run by Chicago-based orchestra consultant and commentator Drew McManus.

As of Thursday afternoon, no official announcement has been made, and Hanna, who joined the DSO as principal bassist in 2008, was still a member of the orchestra. Hanna declined comment, as did spokeswomen at both the DSO and Minnesota Orchestra.

If Hanna, widely recognized as a rising star, were to leave, he would become one of the highest-profile musicians to depart in the wake of the musicians' strike that ended last spring and resulted in base wage cuts of about 23%. Other departures include the former concertmaster and principal timpanist.
Briefly

• President Barack Obama is scheduled to appear Tuesday on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," NBC revealed Thursday. Obama, who has appeared on Leno's talk show three times, made history in March 2009 as the first sitting president to visit "Tonight."

• Lisa Simeone, the radio host of "Soundprint," a documentary show that airs on about 35 National Public Radio affiliate stations across the country, said she was fired because she helped organize a Washington protest. The head of Soundprint Media Center cited NPR's code of ethics before she was fired, the Associated Press reports.

• Joaquin Phoenix, younger brother of late actor River Phoenix, said Thursday that his family has no plans to be involved in director George Sluizer's plans to complete "Dark Blood, the final film starring River Phoenix.

• The Electric Forest music festival at the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury is scheduled for June 28-July 1, 2012, producers Madison House Presents and Insomniac Events said Thursday. For more: www.electricforestfestival.com.

• WWJ-AM (950) will host its Michigan Money Summit from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 29 at VisTaTech Center at Schoolcraft College, 18600 Haggerty Road in Livonia. Murray Feldman of WWJ and WJBK-TV (Channel 2) will host the free event, which will include panel discussions covering different areas of investing and financial planning.

• Saturday's Ekoostik Hookah show at the Magic Bag in Ferndale has been canceled following news that there was a death related to the jam band, promoters announced Thursday. Full refunds are available at the point of purchase. For more: www.themagicbag.com.

• Fans of former "Saved by the Bell" star Elizabeth Berkley won't want to miss her starring turn in "Lucky Christmas," a Hallmark Channel original movie that airs at 8 p.m. Nov. 12. In March, the 39-year-old actress, who grew up in Farmington Hills, released a self-help book for teen girls titled "Ask Elizabeth" (Putnam Juvenile, $16.99). For more: http://ask-elizabeth.com.

COMPILED BY B.J. HAMMERSTEIN, FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER. CONTACT HIM AT 313-223-4528 OR BJHAMMERSTEIN@FREEPRESS.COM. MARK STRYKER CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT.