With one close to ending and the other one just starting, the ratings battle between the two reality shows is in full swing. Despite the differences in format, the two competitions have the same main ingredient, a panel of extremely high-profile judges. This year, new talent has flocked to the judging tables and already caused some drama. Who doesn’t remember the ongoing news of a feud between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey at the start of “American Idol”? While the judges dis each other, we focus on the performances.

Catch the highlights from "The Top 8 Perform" episode:

And our personal favorite:

No, not the singers, but Nicki Minaj's reaction to them. Get out of here!

Shakira and Usher, the new judges on "The Voice," didn't seem to get as much credit as their more experienced counterparts Blake Shelton and Adam Levine, who scored two of our favorite contestants, Sarah Simmons and folk band Midas Whale.

What's your favorite singing reality show? Let us know in the comments.

From the "real-life imitating art" file, today we have news from Michigan that a deer -- believed to be dead -- sprang to life from a man's trunk.

Remember Tommy Boy?

The unidentified man reportedly hit the deer on a rural road near Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Tuesday night, gathered up what he thought was its carcass, and placed it into his trunk. It is legal in Michigan to pick up roadkill for private consumption. And venison is quite yummy.

There is more to life than Mickey Mouse and princess castles and these young stars are showing it. It all started with Miley Cyrus aka Hanna Montana -- do people even remember that? -- bleaching her hair, getting a Mohawk, and smoking marijuana. And let’s not forget her controversial Annie Leibovitz “Vanity Fair” photo shoot. Now “Wizards of Waverly Place” star Selena Gomez and “High School Musical” alumna Vanessa Hudgens star in racy independent flick “Spring Breakers” and are proud of it.

State of the City speeches are typically snoozers. Usually just a chance for mayors to sound mayoral, lay out a plan for their city that may or may not pan out, and give city beat reporters an easy 15 inches of column space to fill for the morning edition.

But, boy howdy, not in Kansas City.

A central Florida first-grader got a happy ending at story time: a surprise visit from her dad.

Madison Bonnichson had no idea that her dad, Sgt. Ryan Bonnichson, was home for a short break. The little girl had been without her father during his yearlong military tour.

On his way home, Bonnichson made a special stop at Apollo Elementary School in Florida’s Brevard County for an emotional reunion.

Madison’s mother and teachers planned the big surprise during story time with her class. But nobody could measure the happiness of the young girl seeing her dad after a yearlong separation. His unexpected arrival was caught on tape: "Daddy!” she said, before jumping into his arms. "Daddy!"

Shhh, you hear that? That collective groan? No, it’s not the sound of millions of hung-over workers lamenting all those green beers and Irish Car Bombs today.

It’s the sound of paparazzi and gossip columnists from Manhattan to West Hollywood reacting to the news that tabloid-rag darling and troubled former child star socialite actress Lindsay Lohan was sentenced to 90 days in a locked rehab facility; the sentence was related to a 2012 reckless driving case. That’s of course after she arrived nearly an hour late. Also after getting some last-minute, ahem, makeup done.

Ninety days without Lohan to terrorize the PCH? Your move, Amanda Bynes.

Not many people can say that they have come face to face with death. Whether death even has a face is a topic for a spiritual debate that we'll table for another day.

But what you're about to see, if you dare, is video of one such occurrence. Craig Stapleton and his skydiving partner were practicing a new stunt when his primary parachute became tangled and his backup would not deploy. He spent 2.5 minutes in a free fall toward earth, reaching speeds of 90 mph.

A camera mounted on his jumping suit captured the whole thing.

Duluth, Minn., isn’t typically a tourism hot spot -- unless you’re into skiing and ice-fishing -- but it has experienced an uptick this winter.

Droves of owls, mainly adorable young boreals, have crept south from their native Canada as part of the natural irruption cycle, which itself has spurred an eruption in bird watching. Irruptions occur when the owls cannot effectively hunt their traditional prey -- mainly mice, voles, and lemmings -- and travel extraordinary distances to find them.