Today: September 20, 2024
Today: September 20, 2024

Arts

Arts

Workers in Disney World district criticize DeSantis appointees' decision to eliminate free passes

Employees of Walt Disney World’s governing district on Wednesday confronted new board members appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis over a decision to eliminate their access to free passes and discounts to the theme park resort, saying it makes park visits unaffordable. During a monthly board meeting, several current and former district firefighters spoke emotionally about how the free passes to Disney parks were a benefit for them and their families that played a major role in their decision to work for the 56-year-old district, which provides municipal services like mosquito control, drainage, wastewater treatment, planning and firefighting to Disney World.

August 23, 2023
Workers in Disney World district criticize DeSantis appointees' decision to eliminate free passes
Arts

Judge clears the way for a civil case to proceed against Alec Baldwin and 'Rust' producers

A New Mexico judge on Wednesday rejected a request by Alec Baldwin ’s attorneys to dismiss a civil lawsuit by three “Rust” crew members who allege cost-cutting endangered the cast and crew as the actor-producer skipped his own safety training. Chief District Judge Bryan Biedscheid also declined to delay proceedings despite arguments by Baldwin’s legal team that doing to so would put their client at risk of self-incrimination since prosecutors have yet to decide whether to refile criminal charges against him over the fatal on-set shooting of a cinematographer. Attorney Robert Schwartz told the judge there

August 23, 2023
Judge clears the way for a civil case to proceed against Alec Baldwin and 'Rust' producers
Arts

Woman, 28, pleads guilty to fatally shoving Broadway singing coach, 87, avoiding long prison stay

A woman who killed an 87-year-old Broadway singing coach by shoving her onto a Manhattan sidewalk has avoided a lengthy prison sentence by pleading guilty to manslaughter on Wednesday, and will instead serve eight years behind bars. Lauren Pazienza, 28, teared up in court as she admitted randomly attacking Barbara Maier Gustern on March 10, 2022. Gustern, whose students included “Blondie” singer Debbie Harry, lay bleeding on a sidewalk as Pazienza walked away, prosecutors said. She died five days later. “Today’s plea holds Pazienza accountable for her deadly actions,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in

August 23, 2023
Woman, 28, pleads guilty to fatally shoving Broadway singing coach, 87, avoiding long prison stay
Arts

What’s going on with Scooter Braun’s artist roster? Here’s what we know and what’s still speculation

Scooter Braun is one of the most recognizable names in the music business for his singular work as an executive and entrepreneur. He’s managed many of your favorite artists, propelling the likes of Justin Bieber to stratospheric fame, and earned the ire of Taylor Swift and her legions of fans for his business practices. On Friday, rumors circulated online that Justin Bieber was leaving Braun, his longtime manager — and the man credited with discovering him. In the days that followed, speculation grew, and media outlets began reporting that some of Braun’s other hype-profile clients like

August 24, 2023
What’s going on with Scooter Braun’s artist roster? Here’s what we know and what’s still speculation
Arts

After a Vermont playhouse flooded, the show went on

Members of a beloved Vermont acting company were sleeping in theater housing when torrential rains and flooding forced them to flee, with water inundating the playhouse’s vast basement of dressing rooms, costumes and props and reaching into the first floor. The July storms left the large, column-fronted white Greek Revival building with layers of mud and debris, and as volunteers and others dug out of the mess, the Weston Theater Company eventually kept performing — on higher ground. The shortened season came to end last week on a smaller stage on higher ground, and the actors

August 24, 2023
After a Vermont playhouse flooded, the show went on
Arts

Fall books: Britney and Barbra's memoirs are among major releases, but political books are fewer

One year ahead of the 2024 election, don’t expect many new books about the presumed front-runners, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The wave of Trump releases that began six years ago with his presidency has subsided, with Jonathan Karl’s “Tired of Winning” and former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s “Enough” among the handful of Trump-centered works due out this fall. Biden, meanwhile, continues to inspire far fewer publications than his immediate predecessors, whether by opponents or defenders. For now, says Shannon DeVito, Barnes & Noble’s senior director for books, there’s “an exhaustion of

August 24, 2023
Fall books: Britney and Barbra's memoirs are among major releases, but political books are fewer
Arts

Fran Drescher says actors strike she's leading is an 'inflection point' that goes beyond Hollywood

Fran Drescher believes that the walkouts that have shut down Hollywood are about something much bigger than the actors union she leads, or the writers striking alongside them, or the entertainment industry. Drescher told The Associated Press the moment is about the entire world of work, and a larger stand against corporate leaders who value shareholders over the people who create their product. “At some point you have to say no more,” Drescher, the former “Nanny” star who is now president of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, said in an interview

August 24, 2023
Fran Drescher says actors strike she's leading is an 'inflection point' that goes beyond Hollywood
Arts

Q&A: 'Golda' director Guy Nattiv seeks to soften, deepen the memory of Golda Meir

One of the more famous quips attributed to Golda Meir, Israel’s first and only female prime minister, was her response to how it felt being a woman in an overwhelmingly male political arena. “I don’t know,” she was oft quoted as saying. “I’ve never tried being a man.” Meir indisputably broke a glass ceiling — one that hasn’t been broken since — but she had a prickly relationship with feminism, a label she certainly didn’t embrace. Still, argues director Guy Nattiv, the trajectory of Meir’s career — especially the nature of the public blame she received

August 24, 2023
Q&A: 'Golda' director Guy Nattiv seeks to soften, deepen the memory of Golda Meir
Arts

Slain Marine's family plans to refile lawsuit accusing Alec Baldwin of defamation

A lawyer for the family of a Marine killed in Afghanistan said Thursday that a new version of a lawsuit accusing actor Alec Baldwin of unleashing his social media followers against them will soon be filed after a federal judge dismissed the original lawsuit but invited the family to rewrite it and submit it again. Attorney Dennis Postiglione, representing the sisters and widow of Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, said he’ll meet a Sept. 12 deadline set by the judge to renew allegations that Baldwin subjected family members to online threats and harassment after he posted and

August 24, 2023
Slain Marine's family plans to refile lawsuit accusing Alec Baldwin of defamation
Arts

'Dune: Part 2' release postponed to 2024 as actors strike lingers

The release of “Dune: Part Two,” one of the fall’s most anticipated films, has been postponed from November until next near, Warner Bros. confirmed Thursday. Denis Villeneuve’s science-fiction sequel had been set to open Nov. 3, but will instead land in theaters March 15 next year. With the actors strike entering its second month, “Dune: Part Two” had been rumored to be eyeing a move. Variety earlier this month reported Warner Bros.’ was mulling the delay. Warner Bros. is opting to wait until its starry cast can promote the follow-up to the 2021 Oscar-winning “Dune.” “Part

August 24, 2023
'Dune: Part 2' release postponed to 2024 as actors strike lingers
Arts

Jets rookie Jerome Kapp gets social media salute from Eminem for 'Hard Knocks' performance

Jerome Kapp went from undrafted rookie wide receiver to social media sensation after doing his best Eminem impression. And the New York Jets wide receiver’s performance on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” even got the rap superstar’s attention. Eminem posted a “salute” emoji on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday night while quote-tweeting Kapp’s performance of the rapper’s freestyle from the 2002 film “8 Mile.” Kapp, a former standout at Division II Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, participated in the Jets’ rookie talent show during training camp, which was included in the “Hard Knocks” episode

August 24, 2023
Jets rookie Jerome Kapp gets social media salute from Eminem for 'Hard Knocks' performance
Arts

Far-right Israeli security minister lashes out at supermodel Bella Hadid over her criticism of him

Israel’s far-right national security minister lashed out at supermodel Bella Hadid on Friday for criticizing his recent fiery televised remarks about Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. In an interview earlier this week with Israel’s Channel 12 following two deadly Palestinian attacks against Israelis in the occupied territory, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir argued that his right to freedom of movement as a Jewish settler outweighs the same right for Palestinians. “My right, the right of my wife and my children to move around Judea and Samaria, is more important than freedom of movement for

August 25, 2023
Far-right Israeli security minister lashes out at supermodel Bella Hadid over her criticism of him
Arts

AI scores in the top percentile of creative thinking

Creativity involves generating something new — a product or solution that didn’t previously exist. Maestria_diz/iStock via Getty Images Of all the forms of human intellect that one might expect artificial intelligence to emulate, few people would likely place creativity at the top of their list. Creativity is wonderfully mysterious – and frustratingly fleeting. It defines us as human beings – and seemingly defies the cold logic that lies behind the silicon curtain of machines. Yet, the use of AI for creative endeavors is now growing. New AI tools like DALL-E and Midjourney are increasingly part of creative production, and some

August 25, 2023
AI scores in the top percentile of creative thinking
Arts

Jason Mraz is feeling free and curious — in music and in love

Jason Mraz is freer than ever, and that liberation has allowed his curiosity to get the best of him — in the most optimistic ways. Musically, the two-time Grammy winner released his latest album, “Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride,” in June, a pop record that’s a turn from his balladeering, acoustic persona. Like many other current dance projects, it was conceived during the pandemic, and the 46-year-old says his fans helped shape its direction. “I’d been noticing this for years — on the setlist (when performing), we were missing the songs that kept the audience on

August 25, 2023
Jason Mraz is feeling free and curious — in music and in love
Arts

Touring North America, singer-songwriter Maisie Peters comes of age

With British pop singer Maisie Peters’ tour across North America underway, there’s one city she’s particularly looking forward to playing: Sacramento, California. Why? The Greta Gerwig effect. “That’s like a ‘Lady Bird,’ Greta Gerwig pilgrimage,” Peters told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “So I’m excited for that.” Peters’ tour in the U.S. and Canada follows the June release of her sophomore album “The Good Witch.” Interwoven are five dates opening for Ed Sheeran, who signed Peters to his Gingerbread Man Records in 2021, and whom she has already opened for in Europe and Australia.

August 25, 2023
Touring North America, singer-songwriter Maisie Peters comes of age
Arts

Publicist says popular game show host Bob Barker has died

A publicist says popular game show host Bob Barker, a household name for a half-century as host of “Truth or Consequences” and “The Price Is Right,” has died at his home in Los Angeles. Barker was 99. Barker — also a longtime animal rights activist — died Saturday morning, according to publicist Roger Neal. “I am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry and including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally,” said Nancy Burnet, his longtime

August 26, 2023
Publicist says popular game show host Bob Barker has died
Arts

Riders in various states of undress cruise Philadelphia streets in 14th naked bike ride

Hundreds of people in various states of dress — or undress – set out Saturday for a ride through some of Philadelphia’s main streets and sights for the 14th Philly Naked Bike Ride. The annual ride, which started in 2009, is billed as promoting cycling as a key form of transportation and fuel-conscious consumption. It is also meant to encourage body positivity. Organizers stress, however, that participants aren’t required to ride completely in the buff, telling them to get “as bare as you dare.” The course, roughly 13 miles (21 kilometers) this year, changes annually but generally

August 26, 2023
Riders in various states of undress cruise Philadelphia streets in 14th naked bike ride
Arts

‘Gran Turismo' and ‘Barbie’ are neck-and-neck at the box office

“Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story” and “Barbie” are in a dead heat for the box office crown, with the video game adaptation just edging Greta Gerwig’s pop sensation, according to studio estimates Sunday. Sony Pictures reported that “Gran Turismo” opened with $17.3 million over the weekend, while Warner Bros. estimated that “Barbie,” in its sixth week of release, took in $17.1 million. Those totals could change when final ticket sales are counted Monday. The weekend was also an usual one in multiplexes. U.S. movie theaters held the second annual National Cinema Day on Sunday,

August 27, 2023
‘Gran Turismo' and ‘Barbie’ are neck-and-neck at the box office
Arts

Trans-Siberian Orchestra will return with a heavy metal holiday tour, 'The Ghosts of Christmas Eve'

Trans-Siberian Orchestra — the heavy metal, classical music, theater production, pyrotechnics and laser lightshow hybrid — will return this winter. “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve — the Best of TSO & More,” will hit 62 cities and deliver 104 performances in both matinee and evening sets. It kicks off on Nov. 15 at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and runs through Dec. 30, concluding at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Al Pitrelli, TSO’s guitarist and music director, says that since the band started 28 years ago, their winter tours have become

August 28, 2023
Trans-Siberian Orchestra will return with a heavy metal holiday tour, 'The Ghosts of Christmas Eve'
Arts

Shakira to be given the Video Vanguard Award at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards

Shakira will receive the Video Vanguard Award at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards next month. Previous recipients include Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and Missy Elliott. She will also perform on the VMA stage for the first time in 17 years. The Colombian singer has won four VMAs across her career, starting with her win in the International Viewer’s Choice (Latin America North) back in 2000. This year, she is nominated for four awards: artist of the year, best collaboration (for “XQG,” with Karol G ) and two noms in the

August 28, 2023
Shakira to be given the Video Vanguard Award at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards
Arts

Revelers pack London streets as Notting Hill Carnival celebrates Caribbean culture

Hundreds of thousands of revelers packed the streets of west London on Monday for the climax of the Notting Hill Carnival, one of the world’s biggest celebrations of Caribbean music and culture. Organizers say up to 2 million people are expected to take in the music, parades, dancing and food over the two days of Europe’s largest street party, which began Sunday with a children’s parade. The carnival traces its history back to 1958, when Trinidadian human rights activist Claudia Jones began organizing a gathering to unify the community after a series of racist attacks on Black

August 28, 2023
Revelers pack London streets as Notting Hill Carnival celebrates Caribbean culture
Arts

‘Gran Turismo’ takes weekend box office crown over ‘Barbie’ after all

The box office results are in and Sony’s racing movie “Gran Turismo” won the weekend over “Barbie,” after all. On Sunday, “ Gran Turismo” appeared to be neck-and-neck with Warner Bros.’ “Barbie,” now in its sixth weekend, with both hovering just over $17 million. But Monday actuals reported by the studios provided a clear winner: “Gran Turismo” ended up with $17.4 million from North American theaters against “Barbie’s” $15.1 million. As is usually the case with new wide releases, “Gran Turismo’s” total also included earnings from Thursday night pre-shows ($1.4 million). More unconventionally, however, Sony also factored in $3.9 million

August 28, 2023
‘Gran Turismo’ takes weekend box office crown over ‘Barbie’ after all
Arts

SNL's Heidi Gardner, Kelce's mother to take part in 'World Largest Tailgate' before NFL kickoff game

“Saturday Night Live” star Heidi Gardner will be among several entertainers expected to take part in a virtual tailgate and concert experience before the NFL’s kickoff game in Kansas City next month. The show dubbed as the “World’s Largest Tailgate” looks to celebrate the start of the football season as the Super Bowl defending champion Chiefs host the Detroit Lions on Sept. 7, the team announced Monday. The event will be held live outside GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Along with Gardner’s appearances during segments, the 90-minute show will be hosted by YouTube stars the Merrell

August 28, 2023
SNL's Heidi Gardner, Kelce's mother to take part in 'World Largest Tailgate' before NFL kickoff game
Arts

For ‘Last of Us’ composer Gustavo Santaolalla, silence is key to drawing the audience in

When composer Gustavo Santaolalla sits with a new script, the words on the page often trigger visual elements, allowing him to hear the musical journey as the story travels from scene to scene. It’s a trait that’s served “The Last of Us” composer well in creating the music for both the acclaimed video game and its Emmy-nominated HBO adaptation, including a nod for Santaolalla’s music. Santaolalla was never formally trained to read or write music, but his instinctual method has led him to create Academy-award winning compositions for Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain” and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s

August 28, 2023
For ‘Last of Us’ composer Gustavo Santaolalla, silence is key to drawing the audience in
Arts

This course examines the dark realities behind your favorite children's stories

A lecturer in English literature gets her students to examine children’s books through the lens of race, class and sexuality.

August 29, 2023
This course examines the dark realities behind your favorite children's stories

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