NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News said Monday it has “agreed to part ways” with Tucker Carlson, its popular and controversial host, less than a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fox-news-dominion-lawsuit-trial-trump-2020-0ac71f75acfacc52ea80b3e747fb0afe">settling a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;over the network's 2020 election reporting.

The network said in a press release that the last program of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” aired Friday.

“We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor,” the press release from the network said.

Carlson became Fox’s most popular personality after replacing Bill O’Reilly in Fox’s prime-time lineup in 2016. He’s also consistently drawn headline for controversial coverage, including most recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-tucker-carlson-capitol-riot-mccarthy-adc245e22f50b076925eb72948062808">airing tapes from the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection</a>&nbsp;to minimize the impact of the deadly attack.

There was no immediate explanation from Fox about why Carlson was leaving. A text message to Carlson seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Fox agreed last week to pay Dominion Voting Systems more than $787 million and acknowledged that some of its reporting following the 2020 election — which allowed former President Donald Trump's aides to amplify false charges of election fraud — was incorrect.

But that reporting mostly concerned other shows, not Carlson’s. His name did come up during the case, primarily because of email and text messages that were revealed as part of the lawsuit.

Carlson and other Fox hosts were caught in private messages doubting their own network's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fox-news-dominion-lawsuit-trial-explainer-trump-fbd401a951905879d837a8860b3bec5e">allegations about Dominion's role</a>&nbsp;in the supposed election fraud, while also being concerned that Fox was losing audience among Trump fans at the time. In some of them, Carlson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tucker-carlson-fox-news-murdoch-capitol-attack-96c305cf4046aaf373130876940fd06e">privately criticized Trump,</a>&nbsp;saying he hated him passionately.

A few weeks ago, Carlson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fox-news-dominion-trial-trump-carlson-election-f580413e13d1bfaea1e94827a4f35dc1">devoted his entire show</a>&nbsp;to an interview with Trump.

Carlson was recently named in a lawsuit filed by Abby Grossberg, a Fox News producer fired after claiming that Fox lawyers had pressured her to give misleading testimony in the Dominion lawsuit. Grossberg had gone to work for Carlson after leaving Maria Bartiromo's Fox show.

Her lawsuit says that Grossberg learned “she had merely traded in one overtly misogynistic work environment for an event crueler one — this time, one where unprofessionalism reigned supreme, and the staff’s distaste and disdain for women infiltrated almost every workday decision.”

Fox has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fox-news-dominion-defamation-lawsuit-voting-sexism-9f0b4ec94a19fa68c1205864fef277c5">countered with its own lawsuit,</a>&nbsp;trying to bar Grossberg from disclosing confidential discussions with Fox attorneys and saying in a statement that “her allegations in connection with the Dominion case are baseless.”

“Fox News Tonight” will air in Carlson's 8 p.m. ET prime-time slot, hosted by a rotating array of network personalities, for the time being.

NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News said Monday it has “agreed to part ways” with Tucker Carlson, its popular and controversial host, less than a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fox-news-dominion-lawsuit-trial-trump-2020-0ac71f75acfacc52ea80b3e747fb0afe">settling a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;over the network's 2020 election reporting.The network said in a press release that the last program of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” aired Friday.“We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor,” the press release from the network said.Carlson became Fox’s most popular personality after replacing Bill O’Reilly in Fox’s prime-time lineup in 2016. He’s also consistently drawn headline for controversial coverage, including most recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-tucker-carlson-capitol-riot-mccarthy-adc245e22f50b076925eb72948062808">airing tapes from the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection</a>&nbsp;to minimize the impact of the deadly attack.There was no immediate explanation from Fox about why Carlson was leaving. A text message to Carlson seeking comment was not immediately returned.Fox agreed last week to pay Dominion Voting Systems more than $787 million and acknowledged that some of its reporting following the 2020 election — which allowed former President Donald Trump's aides to amplify false charges of election fraud — was incorrect.But that reporting mostly concerned other shows, not Carlson’s. His name did come up during the case, primarily because of email and text messages that were revealed as part of the lawsuit.Carlson and other Fox hosts were caught in private messages doubting their own network's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fox-news-dominion-lawsuit-trial-explainer-trump-fbd401a951905879d837a8860b3bec5e">allegations about Dominion's role</a>&nbsp;in the supposed election fraud, while also being concerned that Fox was losing audience among Trump fans at the time. In some of them, Carlson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tucker-carlson-fox-news-murdoch-capitol-attack-96c305cf4046aaf373130876940fd06e">privately criticized Trump,</a>&nbsp;saying he hated him passionately.A few weeks ago, Carlson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fox-news-dominion-trial-trump-carlson-election-f580413e13d1bfaea1e94827a4f35dc1">devoted his entire show</a>&nbsp;to an interview with Trump.Carlson was recently named in a lawsuit filed by Abby Grossberg, a Fox News producer fired after claiming that Fox lawyers had pressured her to give misleading testimony in the Dominion lawsuit. Grossberg had gone to work for Carlson after leaving Maria Bartiromo's Fox show.Her lawsuit says that Grossberg learned “she had merely traded in one overtly misogynistic work environment for an event crueler one — this time, one where unprofessionalism reigned supreme, and the staff’s distaste and disdain for women infiltrated almost every workday decision.”Fox has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fox-news-dominion-defamation-lawsuit-voting-sexism-9f0b4ec94a19fa68c1205864fef277c5">countered with its own lawsuit,</a>&nbsp;trying to bar Grossberg from disclosing confidential discussions with Fox attorneys and saying in a statement that “her allegations in connection with the Dominion case are baseless.”“Fox News Tonight” will air in Carlson's 8 p.m. ET prime-time slot, hosted by a rotating array of network personalities, for the time being.

Tucker Carlson, Fox News' most popular host, out at network

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer

In Ari Aster's new film “ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuiWDn976Ek">Beau is Afraid</a>,” Joaquin Phoenix plays an anxious man in a rotten world who goes on a wildly weird journey, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/beau-is-afraid-review-ari-aster-joaquin-phoenix-38535c76e687d09fc95361f45663d3fd">both Homeric and Oedipal</a>, to his mother's home.

It's
 theatrical and depraved and perhaps best left largely unexplained, at 
least until audiences get a chance to enter the debate. But on the eve 
of the film's wide release Friday, Aster and Phoenix attempt to shed 
some light on “whatever this is,” male pattern baldness and things 
better left unsaid.

Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: What gave you the confidence to make “Beau” now?

ASTER: <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ari-aster-beau-is-afraid-0af9d7c72a04ba828250ac40dedaaf78">I’ve wanted to make it for a long time</a>.
 I think I just felt that maybe I might actually be granted the green 
light now. And I was, which is still a surprise. I also just wanted to 
make something funny and sad.

AP: Joaquin, your schedule was 
already quite busy with Todd Phillips' “Joker” sequel and Ridley Scott’s
 “Napoleon” — why did you want to make time for this?

PHOENIX: 
That’s what I do. You always work it out. And I didn’t know what it 
would be, but in having conversations with Ari, I kept just being 
curious and I enjoyed talking to him. At some point it was like let’s 
just start shooting and see what happens. But I didn’t really have any 
expectations other than I thought that it would be challenging.

AP: I’m always reticent to ask about process, especially in a movie like this where maybe it’s better not to know.

PHOENIX:
 I don’t know the f——-g process either. It’s a mystery to me, but you 
just start. I mean, one of the first things that Ari and I did, we 
talked a great length about the hair. That was just our way in for 
whatever reason. So months in advance, like, like six months or 
something, Ari was in L.A. and we worked with someone in the hair 
department and we kind of just started playing with what look might 
work. Then we get into costumes and Ari had this great idea that Beau 
should have oversize clothing. And I just thought that was a great idea.
 I love things that are tactile that I can feel and put on. That starts 
having an effect on things. And then, I don’t know, we just talk 
endlessly. I don’t even remember what we talked about. Probably a lot 
about balding.

ASTER:
 Well, yeah ... We knew there was male pattern baldness. We just didn’t 
know to what extent. Like, is he, totally bald? What was the color of 
the hair, you know, if there is any.

PHOENIX:
 He’s somebody who’s constantly being tested. It’s really about 
identifying his nature, like who he was because everything about the 
world is trying to get him to react. And there’s something so good about
 him in some way, and it’s something that’s not jaded. But he also 
doesn’t realize how absurd this world is. And what was really important 
to us is that I played it as straight as possible. These things, this 
danger really does exist. And he doesn’t ever really stop and say, hold 
on a sec, this is f——-g crazy. Something is going on, right? I just 
think that was really important in getting to what his true nature is, 
which is kind of what (his mother) Mona is trying to do. She kind of 
fears that genetically he has something ... or, should I not?

ASTER:
 It was very important that Beau be very, very real and whatever he is 
experiencing be very, very real. It’s a very heightened performance, but
 it’s also very grounded. That was really necessary because the world is
 so arch and almost cartoonishly malign. The world of Beau is supposed 
to be a mirror of this world, like it’s horrible in all the same ways 
but with the dial turned up. I think that would have been unbearable, 
especially at this length, if you didn’t have somebody that you could 
kind of hold onto somebody who is a very effective surrogate whoever the
 audience is. A lot of the conversations were about just making this guy
 real enough. How do we have this guy be of this world and at the same 
time be (five-second pause) uh, real and authentic.

PHOENIX: You see what I’m saying? This is what it was for a month leading up to shooting.

ASTER: Only, you know, mercifully no cameras for posterity.

AP:
 The world around Beau is wild, especially in the nightmarish city where
 he lives full of incredible vulgarity and depravity, from the graffiti 
to the store signs. I read Ari was the architect of a lot of those 
details.

ASTER: That was just happening on automatic. Just bring a notepad, you know what I mean?

PHOENIX: Just talking, giving direction and then just, like, writing the most putrid thoughts.

ASTER: Because the world was invented, it gave me license to throw in things that make me laugh.

AP:
 People have made a big deal about this being the most expensive film 
A24 has made, which makes it seem like it’s some $200 million superhero 
movie when it’s really much more modest than that according to the 
reported numbers.

ASTER:
 That is right. It was my biggest budget. “Midsommar” was $10 million 
and “Hereditary” was $5 million. But this was a much, much bigger film. 
In some ways it kind of felt like we had the same kinds of resources for
 what we were trying to do, which means that, you know, we had to 
stretch every dollar. And if ever we fell behind on one day, it was 
very, very stressful because we would have to make up for another day, 
which was already packed with stuff we had to do. There were a lot of 
limitations. But those can be good. It puts you into problem solving 
mode. It’s hardest on the crew.

PHOENIX: You work on weekends, you
 work through lunches. There’s something in some way that’s great about 
it because it forces you to constantly focus on work. There’s no fat. 
There is no time to just relax. It probably creates an energy that the 
film captures.

AP: Before “Hereditary.” <a href="https://apnews.com/article/97920f54401243ddaeeff1a7bfb8210a">you said were feeling a little cynical about Hollywood</a>. Has your perspective changed after your successes?

ASTER: I’m not sure what I said about Hollywood. Hollywood is ...

ASTER:
 Yeah. Wait, Hollywood is hell on earth, what are we talking about? It’s
 the worst place in the world. But no, I love it. I’ve been very 
fortunate in that right out of the gate I had this relationship with 
A24. That’s been a really wonderful thing in my life. The fact that I 
was able to make whatever this thing is right now is pretty wonderful. I
 have no complaints. Was that a good answer?

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PuiWDn976Ek"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film WriterIn Ari Aster's new film “ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuiWDn976Ek">Beau is Afraid</a>,” Joaquin Phoenix plays an anxious man in a rotten world who goes on a wildly weird journey, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/beau-is-afraid-review-ari-aster-joaquin-phoenix-38535c76e687d09fc95361f45663d3fd">both Homeric and Oedipal</a>, to his mother's home.It's
 theatrical and depraved and perhaps best left largely unexplained, at 
least until audiences get a chance to enter the debate. But on the eve 
of the film's wide release Friday, Aster and Phoenix attempt to shed 
some light on “whatever this is,” male pattern baldness and things 
better left unsaid.Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.AP: What gave you the confidence to make “Beau” now?ASTER: <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ari-aster-beau-is-afraid-0af9d7c72a04ba828250ac40dedaaf78">I’ve wanted to make it for a long time</a>.
 I think I just felt that maybe I might actually be granted the green 
light now. And I was, which is still a surprise. I also just wanted to 
make something funny and sad.AP: Joaquin, your schedule was 
already quite busy with Todd Phillips' “Joker” sequel and Ridley Scott’s
 “Napoleon” — why did you want to make time for this?PHOENIX: 
That’s what I do. You always work it out. And I didn’t know what it 
would be, but in having conversations with Ari, I kept just being 
curious and I enjoyed talking to him. At some point it was like let’s 
just start shooting and see what happens. But I didn’t really have any 
expectations other than I thought that it would be challenging.AP: I’m always reticent to ask about process, especially in a movie like this where maybe it’s better not to know.PHOENIX:
 I don’t know the f——-g process either. It’s a mystery to me, but you 
just start. I mean, one of the first things that Ari and I did, we 
talked a great length about the hair. That was just our way in for 
whatever reason. So months in advance, like, like six months or 
something, Ari was in L.A. and we worked with someone in the hair 
department and we kind of just started playing with what look might 
work. Then we get into costumes and Ari had this great idea that Beau 
should have oversize clothing. And I just thought that was a great idea.
 I love things that are tactile that I can feel and put on. That starts 
having an effect on things. And then, I don’t know, we just talk 
endlessly. I don’t even remember what we talked about. Probably a lot 
about balding.ASTER: Yeah.PHOENIX. And testicles.ASTER:
 Well, yeah ... We knew there was male pattern baldness. We just didn’t 
know to what extent. Like, is he, totally bald? What was the color of 
the hair, you know, if there is any.AP: Who is Beau to you?PHOENIX:
 He’s somebody who’s constantly being tested. It’s really about 
identifying his nature, like who he was because everything about the 
world is trying to get him to react. And there’s something so good about
 him in some way, and it’s something that’s not jaded. But he also 
doesn’t realize how absurd this world is. And what was really important 
to us is that I played it as straight as possible. These things, this 
danger really does exist. And he doesn’t ever really stop and say, hold 
on a sec, this is f——-g crazy. Something is going on, right? I just 
think that was really important in getting to what his true nature is, 
which is kind of what (his mother) Mona is trying to do. She kind of 
fears that genetically he has something ... or, should I not?ASTER: I guess maybe?PHOENIX: I’ll just stop.ASTER: No, no, no. Well, maybe.PHOENIX: You’re right, never mind.ASTER:
 It was very important that Beau be very, very real and whatever he is 
experiencing be very, very real. It’s a very heightened performance, but
 it’s also very grounded. That was really necessary because the world is
 so arch and almost cartoonishly malign. The world of Beau is supposed 
to be a mirror of this world, like it’s horrible in all the same ways 
but with the dial turned up. I think that would have been unbearable, 
especially at this length, if you didn’t have somebody that you could 
kind of hold onto somebody who is a very effective surrogate whoever the
 audience is. A lot of the conversations were about just making this guy
 real enough. How do we have this guy be of this world and at the same 
time be (five-second pause) uh, real and authentic.PHOENIX: You see what I’m saying? This is what it was for a month leading up to shooting.ASTER: Only, you know, mercifully no cameras for posterity.AP:
 The world around Beau is wild, especially in the nightmarish city where
 he lives full of incredible vulgarity and depravity, from the graffiti 
to the store signs. I read Ari was the architect of a lot of those 
details.PHOENIX: It’s very easy for him.ASTER: That was just happening on automatic. Just bring a notepad, you know what I mean?PHOENIX: Just talking, giving direction and then just, like, writing the most putrid thoughts.ASTER: Because the world was invented, it gave me license to throw in things that make me laugh.AP:
 People have made a big deal about this being the most expensive film 
A24 has made, which makes it seem like it’s some $200 million superhero 
movie when it’s really much more modest than that according to the 
reported numbers.ASTER: What are the reported numbers?AP: I read $35 million.ASTER:
 That is right. It was my biggest budget. “Midsommar” was $10 million 
and “Hereditary” was $5 million. But this was a much, much bigger film. 
In some ways it kind of felt like we had the same kinds of resources for
 what we were trying to do, which means that, you know, we had to 
stretch every dollar. And if ever we fell behind on one day, it was 
very, very stressful because we would have to make up for another day, 
which was already packed with stuff we had to do. There were a lot of 
limitations. But those can be good. It puts you into problem solving 
mode. It’s hardest on the crew.PHOENIX: You work on weekends, you
 work through lunches. There’s something in some way that’s great about 
it because it forces you to constantly focus on work. There’s no fat. 
There is no time to just relax. It probably creates an energy that the 
film captures.AP: Before “Hereditary.” <a href="https://apnews.com/article/97920f54401243ddaeeff1a7bfb8210a">you said were feeling a little cynical about Hollywood</a>. Has your perspective changed after your successes?ASTER: I’m not sure what I said about Hollywood. Hollywood is ...PHOENIX: Hollywood is great.ASTER:
 Yeah. Wait, Hollywood is hell on earth, what are we talking about? It’s
 the worst place in the world. But no, I love it. I’ve been very 
fortunate in that right out of the gate I had this relationship with 
A24. That’s been a really wonderful thing in my life. The fact that I 
was able to make whatever this thing is right now is pretty wonderful. I
 have no complaints. Was that a good answer?PHOENIX: It was interesting.ASTER: Thanks.

🎥 Q&A: Aster, Phoenix try to discuss ‘Beau is Afraid

By JUDD WEIL&nbsp; Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Hutchinson’s Historic Fox Theatre will present Blues Traveler on April 25 and tickets are going fast.&nbsp;

Blues
 Traveler has released a total of&nbsp;14 studio albums, four of which have 
gone gold, three platinum, and one six-times platinum- selling more than
 10 million&nbsp;combined units worldwide. &nbsp;

Over an illustrious career, Blues Traveler has played over 2,000 live shows in front of more than 30 million people. &nbsp;

"This
 will be their [Blues Traveler] first time performing at the Fox," Josh 
Davies, Fox Theatre Executive &amp; Technical Director, said. "It is 
incredibly exciting to have a band like Blues Traveler perform on our 
stage, especially since they’ve made it the first stop on their current 
tour."

1994’s “Run-Around,” had the longest-charting radio single 
in Billboard history, which earned them a Grammy for “Best Rock 
Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Their latest album Travelers Blues,
 by Round Hill Records, was released in 2021 and featured reimagined and
 recharged classics from the American blues songbook, as well as a few 
surprises. &nbsp;

The group’s first official blues album was nominated for a Grammy for “Best Traditional Blues Album” in 2022. &nbsp;

Their&nbsp;movie credits include “Blues Brothers 2000,” “Kingpin,” “Wildflowers,” and others.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A
 television favorite, they have been featured on “Saturday Night Live,” 
“Austin City Limits,” “VH1's Behind the Music”&nbsp;and they&nbsp;hold the record 
for the most appearances of any artist on “The Late Show with David 
Letterman." 

Tickets range from $58 to $78 and can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hutchinsonfox.com/" target="_blank">hutchinsonfox.com</a>, by phone at 877-FOX-SHOW, or in-person at the Fox Theatre box office.

The Fox Theatre is located at 18 E. 1st Ave., open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m..&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671835265952.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson's Historic Fox Theatre will be Blues Traveler's first stop in their current tour. [Photo: Judd Weil] " />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson's Historic Fox Theatre will be Blues Traveler's first stop in their current tour. [Photo: Judd Weil] </figcaption>
 </figure>By JUDD WEIL&nbsp; Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Hutchinson’s Historic Fox Theatre will present Blues Traveler on April 25 and tickets are going fast.&nbsp;Blues
 Traveler has released a total of&nbsp;14 studio albums, four of which have 
gone gold, three platinum, and one six-times platinum- selling more than
 10 million&nbsp;combined units worldwide. &nbsp;Over an illustrious career, Blues Traveler has played over 2,000 live shows in front of more than 30 million people. &nbsp;"This
 will be their [Blues Traveler] first time performing at the Fox," Josh 
Davies, Fox Theatre Executive &amp; Technical Director, said. "It is 
incredibly exciting to have a band like Blues Traveler perform on our 
stage, especially since they’ve made it the first stop on their current 
tour."1994’s “Run-Around,” had the longest-charting radio single 
in Billboard history, which earned them a Grammy for “Best Rock 
Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Their latest album Travelers Blues,
 by Round Hill Records, was released in 2021 and featured reimagined and
 recharged classics from the American blues songbook, as well as a few 
surprises. &nbsp;The group’s first official blues album was nominated for a Grammy for “Best Traditional Blues Album” in 2022. &nbsp;Their&nbsp;movie credits include “Blues Brothers 2000,” “Kingpin,” “Wildflowers,” and others.&nbsp;&nbsp;A
 television favorite, they have been featured on “Saturday Night Live,” 
“Austin City Limits,” “VH1's Behind the Music”&nbsp;and they&nbsp;hold the record 
for the most appearances of any artist on “The Late Show with David 
Letterman." Tickets range from $58 to $78 and can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hutchinsonfox.com/" target="_blank">hutchinsonfox.com</a>, by phone at 877-FOX-SHOW, or in-person at the Fox Theatre box office. The Fox Theatre is located at 18 E. 1st Ave., open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m..&nbsp;&nbsp;The show will start at 8 p.m. &nbsp;

Blues Traveler playing Hutch's Fox Theatre for first time

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Ultimate rock and roll tribute band Hairball will 
perform at the Kansas State Fair, Thursday, Sept. 14. 2023.&nbsp;This is 
Hairball’s 23rd year of rocking hundreds of thousands of fans across the
 country.&nbsp;​

Hairball is known for their high-energy, electrifying 
performances that pay tribute to some of the greatest rock bands of all 
time,&nbsp;including&nbsp;Kiss, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Queen,&nbsp;Aerosmith&nbsp;and more.
 With their impressive array of costumes, stage props,&nbsp;and pyrotechnics,
 Hairball is sure to deliver an unforgettable show that will leave 
audiences wanting more.&nbsp;​​

It’s been said that “a band puts on a 
concert - Hairball puts on an event!” Vocalists Joe Dandy, Kris Vox, and
 Dave Moody lead&nbsp;the band through a 2+ hour mind-blowing, drop-dead 
accurate homage to some of the biggest arena acts in the world. 
The&nbsp;Hairball stage becomes an entirely new rock concert before your 
very&nbsp;eyes&nbsp;countless times throughout the night.&nbsp;​Tickets go on sale at 8
 a.m. Friday, April 21&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=2541fd3283&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">KansasStateFair.com.</a> Anyone
 signed up for Kansas State Fair emails can get&nbsp;access to tickets with a
 presale code, starting 8 a.m. Thursday, April 20. Sign up for 
emails&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=caff27f52f&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">https://www.kansasstatefair.com/p/general-information1/email-updates</a>​​

The show will be Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;​

Reserved seating in the Grandstand is $30.&nbsp;

There are several options for an upgraded Grandstand experience:​ &nbsp;

Party
 alongside the 2023 Grandstand artists! The Mel Hambelton Ford Party Pit
 gives concertgoers the opportunity to be on the floor,&nbsp;located right in
 front of the stage. Each ticket is $40.&nbsp;​ Metal &amp; Soul Patio​

Get
 all your friends close to the stage! Reserve a table on our Metal &amp;
 Soul Patio to enjoy the show from a private table that seats six. 
Each&nbsp;table is $350.​

Metal &amp; Soul Patio with VIP Experience​

Want
 the ultimate VIP treatment? In addition to a reserved table for six on 
the Metal &amp; Soul Patio, this package provides three beverage&nbsp;coupons
 per person, complimentary food within the VIP seating area prior to the
 show, 2 VIP parking passes, and early entrance to the&nbsp;Grandstand. Each 
table with VIP experience is $500.​

NOTE: Each grandstand ticket 
will also include a gate admission scan. Ticket will be valid on date of
 event only. Some&nbsp;exclusions apply. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=ab4a8d59c0&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">KansasStateFair.com</a>&nbsp;to learn more.​

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=d02caf6734&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/12251/kansas-state-fair</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;call&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=e759f727c7&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">(620) 669-3618.</a>&nbsp;​

2023 Kansas State Fair Nex-Tech Grandstand Acts (so far!):​

The Nex-Tech Grandstand is sponsored by Nex-Tech Wireless and Nex-Tech.​

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681740379888.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Ultimate rock and roll tribute band Hairball will 
perform at the Kansas State Fair, Thursday, Sept. 14. 2023.&nbsp;This is 
Hairball’s 23rd year of rocking hundreds of thousands of fans across the
 country.&nbsp;​Hairball is known for their high-energy, electrifying 
performances that pay tribute to some of the greatest rock bands of all 
time,&nbsp;including&nbsp;Kiss, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Queen,&nbsp;Aerosmith&nbsp;and more.
 With their impressive array of costumes, stage props,&nbsp;and pyrotechnics,
 Hairball is sure to deliver an unforgettable show that will leave 
audiences wanting more.&nbsp;​​It’s been said that “a band puts on a 
concert - Hairball puts on an event!” Vocalists Joe Dandy, Kris Vox, and
 Dave Moody lead&nbsp;the band through a 2+ hour mind-blowing, drop-dead 
accurate homage to some of the biggest arena acts in the world. 
The&nbsp;Hairball stage becomes an entirely new rock concert before your 
very&nbsp;eyes&nbsp;countless times throughout the night.&nbsp;​Tickets go on sale at 8
 a.m. Friday, April 21&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=2541fd3283&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">KansasStateFair.com.</a> Anyone
 signed up for Kansas State Fair emails can get&nbsp;access to tickets with a
 presale code, starting 8 a.m. Thursday, April 20. Sign up for 
emails&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=caff27f52f&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">https://www.kansasstatefair.com/p/general-information1/email-updates</a>​​The show will be Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;​Ticket Options:​Reserved seating in the Grandstand is $30.&nbsp; There are several options for an upgraded Grandstand experience:​ &nbsp;Mel Hambelton Ford Party Pit​Party
 alongside the 2023 Grandstand artists! The Mel Hambelton Ford Party Pit
 gives concertgoers the opportunity to be on the floor,&nbsp;located right in
 front of the stage. Each ticket is $40.&nbsp;​ Metal &amp; Soul Patio​Get
 all your friends close to the stage! Reserve a table on our Metal &amp;
 Soul Patio to enjoy the show from a private table that seats six. 
Each&nbsp;table is $350.​Metal &amp; Soul Patio with VIP Experience​Want
 the ultimate VIP treatment? In addition to a reserved table for six on 
the Metal &amp; Soul Patio, this package provides three beverage&nbsp;coupons
 per person, complimentary food within the VIP seating area prior to the
 show, 2 VIP parking passes, and early entrance to the&nbsp;Grandstand. Each 
table with VIP experience is $500.​NOTE: Each grandstand ticket 
will also include a gate admission scan. Ticket will be valid on date of
 event only. Some&nbsp;exclusions apply. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=ab4a8d59c0&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">KansasStateFair.com</a>&nbsp;to learn more.​To purchase tickets or for more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=d02caf6734&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/12251/kansas-state-fair</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;call&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=e759f727c7&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">(620) 669-3618.</a>&nbsp;​2023 Kansas State Fair Nex-Tech Grandstand Acts (so far!):​<ol>
 <li>Friday, Sept. 8&nbsp;– NEEDTOBREATHE​</li><li>Saturday, Sept. 9&nbsp;– Carly Pearce with Megan Moroney​</li><li>Sunday, Sept. 10 – Rob Schneider with Byron Kennedy</li><li>Wednesday, Sept. 13 – Matthew West with Anne Wilson</li><li>Thursday, Sept. 14&nbsp;– Hairball&nbsp;</li>
 </ol>The Nex-Tech Grandstand is sponsored by Nex-Tech Wireless and Nex-Tech.​

Hairball Will Rock the Kansas State Fair September 14 

Salina's Stiefel Theatre has received a nomination from the Academy of Country Music!

In a release made public Thursday, the Academy of Country Music announced that the Stiefel Theatre was one of five venues nominated in the Theatre of the Year category. Other venues competing in the category include the following.

● Crystal Grand Music Theatre – Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

● Florida Theatre – Jacksonville, Fla

What an amazing surprise! Thank you ACM - Academy of Country Music! This is an incredible honor," said Jane Gates, Stiefel executive director.

She then went on to thank those who helped make the nomination possible.

"Thanks to our agents that have become friends - to the incredible artists and crews that have played here in this beautiful space - and to everyone that supports this historic theatre in so many ways. We are so grateful for our most wonderful staff, crew, board and volunteers. The passion you all have for this theatre shows every day. And most of all...thank you to everyone that comes in for our shows. Nothing could happen without you. Our warm audiences are always noticed - and often mentioned backstage after the shows. We absolutely love this historic theatre. To the stars!" Gates said.

The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, is scheduled to stream live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ territories on Prime Video at 7 p.m. May 11 from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The full rebroadcast of “Country Music’s Party of the Year” will stream the next day for free on Amazon Freevee.

Salina's Stiefel Theatre has received a nomination from the Academy of Country Music!In a release made public Thursday, the Academy of Country Music announced that the Stiefel Theatre was one of five venues nominated in the Theatre of the Year category. Other venues competing in the category include the following.● Crystal Grand Music Theatre – Wisconsin Dells, Wis.● Florida Theatre – Jacksonville, Fla● Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville● Orpheum Theater – Omaha, Neb.What an amazing surprise! Thank you ACM - Academy of Country Music! This is an incredible honor," said Jane Gates, Stiefel executive director.She then went on to thank those who helped make the nomination possible."Thanks to our agents that have become friends - to the incredible artists and crews that have played here in this beautiful space - and to everyone that supports this historic theatre in so many ways. We are so grateful for our most wonderful staff, crew, board and volunteers. The passion you all have for this theatre shows every day. And most of all...thank you to everyone that comes in for our shows. Nothing could happen without you. Our warm audiences are always noticed - and often mentioned backstage after the shows. We absolutely love this historic theatre. To the stars!" Gates said.The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, is scheduled to stream live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ territories on Prime Video at 7 p.m. May 11 from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The full rebroadcast of “Country Music’s Party of the Year” will stream the next day for free on Amazon Freevee.

Salina's Stiefel Theatre receives Academy of Country Music nomination

Warner
 Bros. Discovery is sticking with safe bet franchises that will likely 
lure viewers, including a “Harry Potter” series and a “Game of Thrones” 
prequel for its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/warner-bros-discovery-hbo-streaming-max-app-9a662dfab76d312bc2af4d9cb13b9b98">rebranded Max streaming service</a>.

Executives
 touted Max and made original Warner Bros. Discovery programming 
announcements on Wednesday during a presentation for journalists and 
investors. The $16-per-month service will be released May 23 in the U.S.
 and automatically replace the company’s existing HBO Max.

The 
“Harry Potter” series is described as a “faithful retelling” of the 
books about the boy wizard by J. K Rowling, featuring a new cast.

Each season is intended to focus on one of the seven books, though Max anticipates stretching the series to a decade-long run.

Max
 also announced it is has also ordered a “Game of Thrones” prequel 
called “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight,” set in 
Westeros 100 years prior to the events of “Game of Thrones." It's based 
on fantasy novellas by George R. R. Martin, which follow the adventures 
of a knight named Ser Duncan the Tall (known as Dunk) and Aegon V 
Targaryen (called Egg). Martin will serve as an executive producer and 
writer on the series alongside Ira Parker.

“House of the Dragon” also a “Game of Thrones” prequel, has begun production on its second season for HBO.

Other
 announcements included a series based on the Penguin character in "The 
Batman", which is now in production with Colin Farrell resuming his role
 and another comedy set in the “Big Bang Theory” universe from Chuck 
Lorrie, both for Max.

Associated PressWarner
 Bros. Discovery is sticking with safe bet franchises that will likely 
lure viewers, including a “Harry Potter” series and a “Game of Thrones” 
prequel for its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/warner-bros-discovery-hbo-streaming-max-app-9a662dfab76d312bc2af4d9cb13b9b98">rebranded Max streaming service</a>.Executives
 touted Max and made original Warner Bros. Discovery programming 
announcements on Wednesday during a presentation for journalists and 
investors. The $16-per-month service will be released May 23 in the U.S.
 and automatically replace the company’s existing HBO Max.The 
“Harry Potter” series is described as a “faithful retelling” of the 
books about the boy wizard by J. K Rowling, featuring a new cast.Each season is intended to focus on one of the seven books, though Max anticipates stretching the series to a decade-long run.Max
 also announced it is has also ordered a “Game of Thrones” prequel 
called “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight,” set in 
Westeros 100 years prior to the events of “Game of Thrones." It's based 
on fantasy novellas by George R. R. Martin, which follow the adventures 
of a knight named Ser Duncan the Tall (known as Dunk) and Aegon V 
Targaryen (called Egg). Martin will serve as an executive producer and 
writer on the series alongside Ira Parker.“House of the Dragon” also a “Game of Thrones” prequel, has begun production on its second season for HBO.Other
 announcements included a series based on the Penguin character in "The 
Batman", which is now in production with Colin Farrell resuming his role
 and another comedy set in the “Big Bang Theory” universe from Chuck 
Lorrie, both for Max.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

'Game of Thrones' prequel and 'Harry Potter' series are a go

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Accomplished actor, comedian, three-time Emmy nominated screenwriter and director Rob Schneider will perform at the Kansas State Fair, Sunday, September 10 with special guest Byron Kennedy. &nbsp;​ As a stand-up comic and veteran of the award-winning NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in films and television and continues his world-wide stand-up tour. &nbsp; ​ His TV and film credits include the NBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly and starring roles in the feature films Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, the Animal, the Hot Chick, The Benchwarmers, Grownups, The Waterboy, Little Nicky, The Longest Yard, 50 First Dates, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, animated film 8 Crazy Nights, and Netflix’s The Wrong Missy and Hubie Halloween. &nbsp;​ Schneider is currently co-starring in Netflix’s Home Team, starring Kevin James in addition to his stand-up comedy tour. Schneider also recently completed production on the film Daddy Daughter Trip, which he produced, directed and starred in.  &nbsp;​ Kennedy is a rising star in the comedy world and has been featured on Comedy Central's Roast Battle and MTV's Wild 'N Out. ​ Tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. Friday, April 14 at&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=8e8ad2f61e&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">KansasStateFair.com</a>. Anyone signed up for Kansas State Fair emails can get access to tickets with a presale code, starting 8 a.m. Thursday, April 13. Sign up for emails at&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=c5a4dc3214&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">https://www.kansasstatefair.com/p/general-information1/email-updates​</a> The show will be Sunday, September 10 at 7:30 p.m. &nbsp;​ Ticket Options:​ Reserved seating on the Floor is $70 and the Grandstand is $60/$40. &nbsp;​ There are several options for an upgraded Grandstand experience:​ Metal &amp; Soul Patio​ Get all your friends close to the stage! Reserve a table on our Metal &amp; Soul Patio to enjoy the show from a private table that seats six. Each table is $600.​ Metal &amp; Soul Patio with VIP Experience​ Want the ultimate VIP treatment? In addition to a reserved table for six on the Metal &amp; Soul Patio, this package provides three beverage coupons per person, complimentary food within the VIP seating area prior to the show, 2 VIP parking passes, and early entrance to the Grandstand. Each table with VIP experience is $750.​ NOTE: Each grandstand ticket includes a gate admission scan. Ticket will be valid on date of event only. Some exclusions apply. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=8938139cff&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">KansasStateFair.com</a>&nbsp;to learn more. ​ To purchase tickets or for more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=46f8db11be&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">kansasstatefair.com</a>&nbsp;or call (620) 669-3618

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681127685633.jpeg" alt="Rob Schneider&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Rob Schneider&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Accomplished actor, comedian, three-time Emmy nominated screenwriter and director Rob Schneider will perform at the Kansas State Fair, Sunday, September 10 with special guest Byron Kennedy. &nbsp;​ As a stand-up comic and veteran of the award-winning NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in films and television and continues his world-wide stand-up tour. &nbsp; ​ His TV and film credits include the NBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly and starring roles in the feature films Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, the Animal, the Hot Chick, The Benchwarmers, Grownups, The Waterboy, Little Nicky, The Longest Yard, 50 First Dates, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, animated film 8 Crazy Nights, and Netflix’s The Wrong Missy and Hubie Halloween. &nbsp;​ Schneider is currently co-starring in Netflix’s Home Team, starring Kevin James in addition to his stand-up comedy tour. Schneider also recently completed production on the film Daddy Daughter Trip, which he produced, directed and starred in.  &nbsp;​ Kennedy is a rising star in the comedy world and has been featured on Comedy Central's Roast Battle and MTV's Wild 'N Out. ​ Tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. Friday, April 14 at&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=8e8ad2f61e&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">KansasStateFair.com</a>. Anyone signed up for Kansas State Fair emails can get access to tickets with a presale code, starting 8 a.m. Thursday, April 13. Sign up for emails at&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=c5a4dc3214&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">https://www.kansasstatefair.com/p/general-information1/email-updates​</a> The show will be Sunday, September 10 at 7:30 p.m. &nbsp;​ Ticket Options:​ Reserved seating on the Floor is $70 and the Grandstand is $60/$40. &nbsp;​ There are several options for an upgraded Grandstand experience:​ Metal &amp; Soul Patio​ Get all your friends close to the stage! Reserve a table on our Metal &amp; Soul Patio to enjoy the show from a private table that seats six. Each table is $600.​ Metal &amp; Soul Patio with VIP Experience​ Want the ultimate VIP treatment? In addition to a reserved table for six on the Metal &amp; Soul Patio, this package provides three beverage coupons per person, complimentary food within the VIP seating area prior to the show, 2 VIP parking passes, and early entrance to the Grandstand. Each table with VIP experience is $750.​ NOTE: Each grandstand ticket includes a gate admission scan. Ticket will be valid on date of event only. Some exclusions apply. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=8938139cff&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">KansasStateFair.com</a>&nbsp;to learn more. ​ To purchase tickets or for more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasstatefair.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e8ba81fdd03d1e38c02c0ae6&amp;id=46f8db11be&amp;e=3291b91fe2" target="_blank">kansasstatefair.com</a>&nbsp;or call (620) 669-3618

'Saturday Night Live' star coming to Kansas State Fair

LOS
 ANGELES (AP) — Travis Kelce is living his best life: On the heels of 
winning the Super Bowl and hosting “Saturday Night Live,” the Kansas 
City Chiefs superstar tight end will cap his successful string with a 
music festival this month.

The two-time Super Bowl winner 
announced Tuesday that he’ll host his first-ever festival called “Kelce 
Jam” during NFL Draft weekend. The inaugural event will be held April 28
 at the Azura Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, Kansas — a metropolitan 
area of Kansas City.

The event will feature performances by Machine Gun Kelly, Rick Ross, DJ duo Loud Luxury and Kansas City rap legend Tech N9ne.

“With
 the draft coming to KC, I think it’s perfect timing for me to throw the
 biggest music festival that’s ever come here,” said Kelce, who believes
 the festival could lure around 15,000 attendees. “We’ll have some 
unreal stage productions, Kansas City’s best food, tons of attractions 
and football-related games. This will be a whole lot of fun.”

Kelce said he’s taking advantage of his surging popularity after the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2023-kansas-city-chiefs-philadelphia-eagles-43a1fb387f63438c1eea23b6a4244d95">Super Bowl 57</a>
 in February. Last month, he hosted “Saturday Night Live” and he 
co-hosts a flourishing podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce, who plays 
for the Eagles.

In this moment, Kelce is enjoying “every bit of it” and feels ecstatic about his upcoming music festival.

“Every
 door that’s been opened because of winning the Super Bowl, I’ve been 
running through them,” he said. “It’s not going to stop anytime soon – 
especially with Kelce Jam. I think this will be the nail-in-the-coffin 
for the 2022 season.”

Kelce said he wanted to bring some of his 
favorite artists including Machine Gun Kelly – who is an Ohio native 
like himself. He felt inspired to host his own music festival after he 
attended four-time Super Bowl champion <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rob-gronkowski">Rob Gronkowski</a> ’s Gronk Beach during the NFL Draft in Las Vegas last year.

“I
 took note from what Gronk did last year,” he said. “I want to throw a 
big party knowing that the draft is coming to Kansas City. It’s a 
special event for the city to host. … I’m going to need Kansas City to 
come out and be electric with me.”

LOS
 ANGELES (AP) — Travis Kelce is living his best life: On the heels of 
winning the Super Bowl and hosting “Saturday Night Live,” the Kansas 
City Chiefs superstar tight end will cap his successful string with a 
music festival this month.The two-time Super Bowl winner 
announced Tuesday that he’ll host his first-ever festival called “Kelce 
Jam” during NFL Draft weekend. The inaugural event will be held April 28
 at the Azura Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, Kansas — a metropolitan 
area of Kansas City.The event will feature performances by Machine Gun Kelly, Rick Ross, DJ duo Loud Luxury and Kansas City rap legend Tech N9ne.“With
 the draft coming to KC, I think it’s perfect timing for me to throw the
 biggest music festival that’s ever come here,” said Kelce, who believes
 the festival could lure around 15,000 attendees. “We’ll have some 
unreal stage productions, Kansas City’s best food, tons of attractions 
and football-related games. This will be a whole lot of fun.”Kelce said he’s taking advantage of his surging popularity after the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2023-kansas-city-chiefs-philadelphia-eagles-43a1fb387f63438c1eea23b6a4244d95">Super Bowl 57</a>
 in February. Last month, he hosted “Saturday Night Live” and he 
co-hosts a flourishing podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce, who plays 
for the Eagles.In this moment, Kelce is enjoying “every bit of it” and feels ecstatic about his upcoming music festival.“Every
 door that’s been opened because of winning the Super Bowl, I’ve been 
running through them,” he said. “It’s not going to stop anytime soon – 
especially with Kelce Jam. I think this will be the nail-in-the-coffin 
for the 2022 season.”Kelce said he wanted to bring some of his 
favorite artists including Machine Gun Kelly – who is an Ohio native 
like himself. He felt inspired to host his own music festival after he 
attended four-time Super Bowl champion <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rob-gronkowski">Rob Gronkowski</a> ’s Gronk Beach during the NFL Draft in Las Vegas last year.“I
 took note from what Gronk did last year,” he said. “I want to throw a 
big party knowing that the draft is coming to Kansas City. It’s a 
special event for the city to host. … I’m going to need Kansas City to 
come out and be electric with me.”

Chiefs' Travis Kelce to host music festival in Kansas City

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with USA Today Woman of the Year 2023 honoree Jade Piros de Carvalho.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p4fEi-BuxTE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with USA Today Woman of the Year 2023 honoree Jade Piros de Carvalho.

🎤 Forward Ever: USA Today Woman of the Year 2023 honoree Jade Piros de Carvalho

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Gwyneth Paltrow won her court battle over a 2016 ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort after a jury decided Thursday that the movie star wasn’t at fault for the crash.

A jury dismissed the complaint of a retired optometrist who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.boston.com/culture/celebs/2019/01/29/gwyneth-paltrow-sued-over-utah-ski-crash/">sued Paltrow</a>&nbsp;over injuries he sustained when the two crashed on a beginner run at Deer Valley ski resort, siding with Paltrow after eight days of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gwyneth-paltrow-ski-trial-lawsuit-utah-0d1bf78d45d65d86eafcd0e6bc21ae38">live-streamed courtroom testimony</a>&nbsp;that made the case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gwyneth-paltrow-ski-trial-lawsuit-utah-b748dfec3d0cc7ba7281355a21a4f6ff">a pop culture fixation.</a>

Paltrow, an actor who in recent years has refashioned herself into a celebrity wellness entrepreneur, Paltrow looked to her attorneys with a pursed lips smile when the judge read the eight-member jury’s verdict in the Park City courtroom. She sat intently through two weeks of testimony in what became the biggest celebrity court case since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amber-heard-johnny-depp-entertainment-ae1cbc0ff84940adf857355ec956723e">actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard faced off</a>&nbsp;last year.

The dismissal concludes two weeks of courtroom proceedings that hinged largely on reputation rather than the monetary damages at stake in the case. Paltrow’s attorneys described the complaint against her as “utter B.S.” and painted the Goop founder-CEO as uniquely vulnerable to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-entertainment-ap-top-news-us-news-lawsuits-89356b1afe574eee890e7f31cb193b86">unfair, frivolous lawsuits</a>&nbsp;due to her celebrity.

Paltrow took the witness stand during the trial to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gwyneth-paltrow-utah-ski-collision-trial-3f3b25539799e4537f2157ee3679d202">insist the collision</a>&nbsp;wasn’t her fault, and to describe how she was stunned when she felt “a body pressing against me and a very strange grunting noise.”

Throughout the trial, the word&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gwyneth-paltrow-ski-trial-lawsuit-utah-2d9de9365c38">“uphill” became synonymous with “guilty,</a>&nbsp;” as attorneys focused on a largely unknown skiing code of conduct that stipulates that the skier who is downhill or ahead on the slope has the right of way.

Worldwide audiences followed the celebrity trial as if it were episodic television. Viewers scrutinized both Paltrow and Sanderson’s motives while attorneys directed questions to witnesses that often had less to do with the collision and more to do with their client’s reputations.

The trial took place in Park City, a resort town known for hosting the annual&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sundance-film-festival">Sundance Film Festival,</a>&nbsp;where early in her career Paltrow would appear for the premieres of her movies including 1998’s “Sliding Doors,” at a time when she was known primarily as an actor, not a lifestyle influencer. Paltrow is also known for her roles in “Shakespeare in Love” and the “Iron Man” movies.

The jury’s decision marks a painful court defeat for Terry Sanderson, the man who sued Paltrow for more than $300,000 over injuries he sustained when they crashed on a beginner run. Both parties blamed the other for the collision. Sanderson, 76, broke four ribs and sustained a concussion after the two tumbled down the slope, with Paltrow landing on top of him.

He filed an amended complaint after an earlier $3.1 million lawsuit was dismissed. Paltrow in response countersued for $1 and attorney fees, a symbolic action that mirrors Taylor Swift’s response to a radio host’s defamation lawsuit. Swift was awarded $1 in 2017.

Paltrow’s defense team tried to paint Sanderson as an angry, aging and unsympathetic man who had over the years become “obsessed” with his lawsuit against Paltrow. They argued that Paltrow wasn’t at fault in the crash and also said, regardless of blame, that Sanderson was overstating the extent of his injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680216584319.png" alt="Gwyneth Paltrow sits in court during an objection by her attorney during her trial, Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in Park City, Utah, where she is accused in a lawsuit of crashing into a skier during a 2016 family ski vacation, leaving him with brain damage and four broken ribs. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)" />
 <figcaption>Gwyneth Paltrow sits in court during an objection by her attorney during her trial, Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in Park City, Utah, where she is accused in a lawsuit of crashing into a skier during a 2016 family ski vacation, leaving him with brain damage and four broken ribs. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)</figcaption>
 </figure>PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Gwyneth Paltrow won her court battle over a 2016 ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort after a jury decided Thursday that the movie star wasn’t at fault for the crash.A jury dismissed the complaint of a retired optometrist who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.boston.com/culture/celebs/2019/01/29/gwyneth-paltrow-sued-over-utah-ski-crash/">sued Paltrow</a>&nbsp;over injuries he sustained when the two crashed on a beginner run at Deer Valley ski resort, siding with Paltrow after eight days of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gwyneth-paltrow-ski-trial-lawsuit-utah-0d1bf78d45d65d86eafcd0e6bc21ae38">live-streamed courtroom testimony</a>&nbsp;that made the case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gwyneth-paltrow-ski-trial-lawsuit-utah-b748dfec3d0cc7ba7281355a21a4f6ff">a pop culture fixation.</a>Paltrow, an actor who in recent years has refashioned herself into a celebrity wellness entrepreneur, Paltrow looked to her attorneys with a pursed lips smile when the judge read the eight-member jury’s verdict in the Park City courtroom. She sat intently through two weeks of testimony in what became the biggest celebrity court case since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amber-heard-johnny-depp-entertainment-ae1cbc0ff84940adf857355ec956723e">actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard faced off</a>&nbsp;last year.The dismissal concludes two weeks of courtroom proceedings that hinged largely on reputation rather than the monetary damages at stake in the case. Paltrow’s attorneys described the complaint against her as “utter B.S.” and painted the Goop founder-CEO as uniquely vulnerable to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-entertainment-ap-top-news-us-news-lawsuits-89356b1afe574eee890e7f31cb193b86">unfair, frivolous lawsuits</a>&nbsp;due to her celebrity.Paltrow took the witness stand during the trial to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gwyneth-paltrow-utah-ski-collision-trial-3f3b25539799e4537f2157ee3679d202">insist the collision</a>&nbsp;wasn’t her fault, and to describe how she was stunned when she felt “a body pressing against me and a very strange grunting noise.”Throughout the trial, the word&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gwyneth-paltrow-ski-trial-lawsuit-utah-2d9de9365c38">“uphill” became synonymous with “guilty,</a>&nbsp;” as attorneys focused on a largely unknown skiing code of conduct that stipulates that the skier who is downhill or ahead on the slope has the right of way.Worldwide audiences followed the celebrity trial as if it were episodic television. Viewers scrutinized both Paltrow and Sanderson’s motives while attorneys directed questions to witnesses that often had less to do with the collision and more to do with their client’s reputations.The trial took place in Park City, a resort town known for hosting the annual&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sundance-film-festival">Sundance Film Festival,</a>&nbsp;where early in her career Paltrow would appear for the premieres of her movies including 1998’s “Sliding Doors,” at a time when she was known primarily as an actor, not a lifestyle influencer. Paltrow is also known for her roles in “Shakespeare in Love” and the “Iron Man” movies.The jury’s decision marks a painful court defeat for Terry Sanderson, the man who sued Paltrow for more than $300,000 over injuries he sustained when they crashed on a beginner run. Both parties blamed the other for the collision. Sanderson, 76, broke four ribs and sustained a concussion after the two tumbled down the slope, with Paltrow landing on top of him.He filed an amended complaint after an earlier $3.1 million lawsuit was dismissed. Paltrow in response countersued for $1 and attorney fees, a symbolic action that mirrors Taylor Swift’s response to a radio host’s defamation lawsuit. Swift was awarded $1 in 2017.Paltrow’s defense team tried to paint Sanderson as an angry, aging and unsympathetic man who had over the years become “obsessed” with his lawsuit against Paltrow. They argued that Paltrow wasn’t at fault in the crash and also said, regardless of blame, that Sanderson was overstating the extent of his injuries.

Gwyneth Paltrow not at fault for ski collision, jury decides

By JONATHAN LANDRUM JR. AP Entertainment Writer

LOS
 ANGELES — Hip-hop became a cultural phenomenon against the 
backdrop of American history, and now Public Enemy’s Chuck D has 
committed himself to explore the artform's origins.

Chuck D 
rounded up several rap greats — including Ice-T, Run DMC and MC Lyte — 
who offered their firsthand accounts ahead of this year's 50th 
anniversary of hip-hop. Their reflections are explored in the four-part 
docuseries <a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/fight-power-how-hip-hop-changed-world/">“Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World,”</a> that aired on PBS and is available to stream on its platforms and YouTube with a premium subscription.

The
 series delves into the history of hip-hop including the genre’s radical
 rise from the New York City streets, creating a platform for political 
expression and being a leading voice for social justice

“Fight the
 Power” touches on how the hip-hop has played an impactful role in 
speaking up against injustice in the aftermath of America’s racial and 
political reckoning in 2020 after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-minneapolis-police-reform-d109eb0d3094119ddbcb560676467f19">George Floyd's killing by Minneapolis police</a>.
 The series, executive produced by Chuck D, features archival footage 
and insightful interviews from of rap’s most integral figures including 
Fat Joe, Lupe Fiasco, Grandmaster Caz, B-Real of Cypress Hill, Melle 
Mel, will.i.am, John Forte, Roxanne Shanté and Abiodun Oyewole of The 
Last Poets.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Chuck
 D talked about hip-hop’s cultural growth in 50 years, the genre being 
the backbone for Black men’s voices and how rap could last for another 
half century.

Remarks have been edited for clarity and bravery. 
___ AP: You mentioned in your docuseries that hip-hop was a catalyst for
 the Black Lives Matter movement. How so?

CHUCK D: It’s a 
collective where people felt the same way. It spoke politically to the 
injustice regarding George Floyd and was a spark that connected around 
the world. Hip-hop has done the same thing. Hip-hop ties human beings 
for their similarities and knocks the differences to the side. It’s a 
movement, when you talk about collective people feeling similar, enact 
upon something and still even stay within the constraints of the law. 
Younger people say, “OK, listen, we’re going to speak truth to power 
right now. We’re going to protest march. We're going to show you numbers
 that you ain’t seen in a long time about something you probably didn’t 
care about." That’s hip-hop, right?

AP: During the birth of hip-hop, how do it help encourage Black voices?

CHUCK
 D: Black men didn’t have a voice. You might’ve sung records for people 
who were fortunate to become recording artists. Our music has always 
been code. Hip-hop is the term for our creativity, maybe for the last 50
 years. But before that, we always was creative and musicianship, 
vocalization, arts and craft, and also the movement of dance. Just that 
the elements had gotten refined in another period in the '70s out of 
another Big Bang Theory of socio political environments. That’s where 
that voice came out and it came out culturally. It still speaks loudly, 
culturally.

AP: How does your documentary amplify that notion?

CHUCK
 D: Some people like to deal with hip-hop where they first started. I 
think what this documentary series says is “Nah, this is where it 
started.” You might have picked up on it after you were born in the 
1990s and picked up maybe 2000, but it started before you.

AP: What do you want people to take away from your documentary?

CHUCK
 D: I don’t want people to do what they don’t want to do. If you say you
 love hip-hop, then you should be able to know about what you love. You 
don’t have to love hip-hop. I used to ask people straight out, “Do you 
love hip-hop?” They would respond “Oh yeah. I love it.” Then I was ask, 
“Do you love Black people?” They would say “What’s that got to do with 
it?” I’m here to tell you that the culture and the music comes out of 
the people. Sometimes your love of it got to infuse and give something 
back to the people. That’s the cycle.

AP: How do you feel about hip-hop being misinterpreted at times?

CHUCK
 D: I’m 12 years older than hip-hop, so I’m not in awe of it. I’ve seen 
the trajectory and my involvement in it was to see if I can make it go 
head-to-head, stand shoulders and shoulders next to everything else that
 gets bragged and talked about. I’m a big sports fan. You know, a lot of
 people in New York broke up because the Giants lost. That’s how they 
tied into their loyalty for something that they say that they love. 
Well, people love music, too. They seem to know less about it than they 
know about sports, because sports make sure you’re not stupid. Stephen 
A. Smith now is a superstar journalist who makes sure that if you come 
in the room, you’re not stupid about sports. You can’t go off the top of
 your head and freestyle what you think when it’s fact. This four-part 
series at least deals with facts, especially in this misinformation age.
 Facts are important. Facts is not opinion, bro.

CHUCK
 D: Africa is the future of hip-hop. It’s 54 African nations. Not only 
are they spitting like crazy, but they’re also braiding languages. 
Hip-hop is going to like 3.0 when you talk about Africa. Hip-hop is 
there. So that’s the sustaining power if you want to pay attention to 
it.

AP: Do you feel like rappers can still be commercially successful while being socially conscious?

CHUCK
 D: Depends on where they are and who they’re talking to. If you’re in 
France, it might work for you. Each level that you get into it, you got 
to go deeper because you build a fan base that’s three times harder than
 you. If you’re an activist, you’re going to bring on activists that's 
really doing this. You as an artist could engage on it and group them 
together.

Now, as far as what’s going to make that artists keep a 
light on or go out and get the Lamborghini, that’s a personal thing. 
Money is relative. There’s pressure put on the arts. That’s an illusion.
 It’s a little unfair to any art — which is not supposed to bring you an
 industry. It’s supposed to be able to bring a canvas to the world.

AP: What’s it going to take for hip-hop to live for another 50 years?

CHUCK
 D: Commitment collective, people recognizing that this is a part of us 
and recognizing more parts of us that have been part of our cultural 
history around the world. We got to recognize the world too.

By JONATHAN LANDRUM JR. AP Entertainment WriterLOS
 ANGELES — Hip-hop became a cultural phenomenon against the 
backdrop of American history, and now Public Enemy’s Chuck D has 
committed himself to explore the artform's origins.Chuck D 
rounded up several rap greats — including Ice-T, Run DMC and MC Lyte — 
who offered their firsthand accounts ahead of this year's 50th 
anniversary of hip-hop. Their reflections are explored in the four-part 
docuseries <a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/fight-power-how-hip-hop-changed-world/">“Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World,”</a> that aired on PBS and is available to stream on its platforms and YouTube with a premium subscription.The
 series delves into the history of hip-hop including the genre’s radical
 rise from the New York City streets, creating a platform for political 
expression and being a leading voice for social justice“Fight the
 Power” touches on how the hip-hop has played an impactful role in 
speaking up against injustice in the aftermath of America’s racial and 
political reckoning in 2020 after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-minneapolis-police-reform-d109eb0d3094119ddbcb560676467f19">George Floyd's killing by Minneapolis police</a>.
 The series, executive produced by Chuck D, features archival footage 
and insightful interviews from of rap’s most integral figures including 
Fat Joe, Lupe Fiasco, Grandmaster Caz, B-Real of Cypress Hill, Melle 
Mel, will.i.am, John Forte, Roxanne Shanté and Abiodun Oyewole of The 
Last Poets.In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Chuck
 D talked about hip-hop’s cultural growth in 50 years, the genre being 
the backbone for Black men’s voices and how rap could last for another 
half century.Remarks have been edited for clarity and bravery. 
___ AP: You mentioned in your docuseries that hip-hop was a catalyst for
 the Black Lives Matter movement. How so?CHUCK D: It’s a 
collective where people felt the same way. It spoke politically to the 
injustice regarding George Floyd and was a spark that connected around 
the world. Hip-hop has done the same thing. Hip-hop ties human beings 
for their similarities and knocks the differences to the side. It’s a 
movement, when you talk about collective people feeling similar, enact 
upon something and still even stay within the constraints of the law. 
Younger people say, “OK, listen, we’re going to speak truth to power 
right now. We’re going to protest march. We're going to show you numbers
 that you ain’t seen in a long time about something you probably didn’t 
care about." That’s hip-hop, right?AP: During the birth of hip-hop, how do it help encourage Black voices?CHUCK
 D: Black men didn’t have a voice. You might’ve sung records for people 
who were fortunate to become recording artists. Our music has always 
been code. Hip-hop is the term for our creativity, maybe for the last 50
 years. But before that, we always was creative and musicianship, 
vocalization, arts and craft, and also the movement of dance. Just that 
the elements had gotten refined in another period in the '70s out of 
another Big Bang Theory of socio political environments. That’s where 
that voice came out and it came out culturally. It still speaks loudly, 
culturally.AP: How does your documentary amplify that notion?CHUCK
 D: Some people like to deal with hip-hop where they first started. I 
think what this documentary series says is “Nah, this is where it 
started.” You might have picked up on it after you were born in the 
1990s and picked up maybe 2000, but it started before you.AP: What do you want people to take away from your documentary?CHUCK
 D: I don’t want people to do what they don’t want to do. If you say you
 love hip-hop, then you should be able to know about what you love. You 
don’t have to love hip-hop. I used to ask people straight out, “Do you 
love hip-hop?” They would respond “Oh yeah. I love it.” Then I was ask, 
“Do you love Black people?” They would say “What’s that got to do with 
it?” I’m here to tell you that the culture and the music comes out of 
the people. Sometimes your love of it got to infuse and give something 
back to the people. That’s the cycle.AP: How do you feel about hip-hop being misinterpreted at times?CHUCK
 D: I’m 12 years older than hip-hop, so I’m not in awe of it. I’ve seen 
the trajectory and my involvement in it was to see if I can make it go 
head-to-head, stand shoulders and shoulders next to everything else that
 gets bragged and talked about. I’m a big sports fan. You know, a lot of
 people in New York broke up because the Giants lost. That’s how they 
tied into their loyalty for something that they say that they love. 
Well, people love music, too. They seem to know less about it than they 
know about sports, because sports make sure you’re not stupid. Stephen 
A. Smith now is a superstar journalist who makes sure that if you come 
in the room, you’re not stupid about sports. You can’t go off the top of
 your head and freestyle what you think when it’s fact. This four-part 
series at least deals with facts, especially in this misinformation age.
 Facts are important. Facts is not opinion, bro.AP: How have you seen hip-hop transcend?CHUCK
 D: Africa is the future of hip-hop. It’s 54 African nations. Not only 
are they spitting like crazy, but they’re also braiding languages. 
Hip-hop is going to like 3.0 when you talk about Africa. Hip-hop is 
there. So that’s the sustaining power if you want to pay attention to 
it.AP: Do you feel like rappers can still be commercially successful while being socially conscious?CHUCK
 D: Depends on where they are and who they’re talking to. If you’re in 
France, it might work for you. Each level that you get into it, you got 
to go deeper because you build a fan base that’s three times harder than
 you. If you’re an activist, you’re going to bring on activists that's 
really doing this. You as an artist could engage on it and group them 
together.Now, as far as what’s going to make that artists keep a 
light on or go out and get the Lamborghini, that’s a personal thing. 
Money is relative. There’s pressure put on the arts. That’s an illusion.
 It’s a little unfair to any art — which is not supposed to bring you an
 industry. It’s supposed to be able to bring a canvas to the world.AP: What’s it going to take for hip-hop to live for another 50 years?CHUCK
 D: Commitment collective, people recognizing that this is a part of us 
and recognizing more parts of us that have been part of our cultural 
history around the world. We got to recognize the world too.

Q&A: Chuck D talks rap's rise through 'Fight the Power' doc

Newsmax
 is returning to DirecTV after a dispute between the parties saw the 
conservative network removed from the satellite carrier.

The duo 
were initially unable to agree to financial terms on an agreement, which
 led to DirecTV losing the rights to distribute Newsmax programming on 
Jan. 25.

The companies said Wednesday that they've now reached a 
multiyear distribution deal that will see the Newsmax channel return to 
DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-verse starting on Thursday.

“As
 a stand-alone company, DirecTV helped give Newsmax its start nearly a 
decade ago as it continues to do with upcoming news networks, which is 
why we are pleased to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that will 
deliver our network to DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-verse customers 
over the next several years,” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy said in a 
statement on Wednesday.

Associated PressNewsmax
 is returning to DirecTV after a dispute between the parties saw the 
conservative network removed from the satellite carrier.The duo 
were initially unable to agree to financial terms on an agreement, which
 led to DirecTV losing the rights to distribute Newsmax programming on 
Jan. 25.The companies said Wednesday that they've now reached a 
multiyear distribution deal that will see the Newsmax channel return to 
DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-verse starting on Thursday.Financial terms were not disclosed.“As
 a stand-alone company, DirecTV helped give Newsmax its start nearly a 
decade ago as it continues to do with upcoming news networks, which is 
why we are pleased to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that will 
deliver our network to DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-verse customers 
over the next several years,” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy said in a 
statement on Wednesday.

Newsmax returns to DirecTV, inks multiyear distribution deal

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — There's a moment in the new PBS documentary about <a href="https://apnews.com/article/anthony-fauci-announces-retirement-7efdacac6a9ff7aa6e2f870b551fe508">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a> when a protester holds up a handmade sign reading, “Dr. Fauci, You Are Killing Us."

It
 says something about Fauci that it's not initially clear when that sign
 was waved in anger — in the 1980s as AIDS made its deadly rise or in 
the 2020s with COVID-19 vaccine opponents.

<a href="https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/anthony-fauci-documentary/23072/">“American Masters: Dr. Tony Fauci,”</a>
 offers a portrait of an unlikely lightning rod: A government infectious
 disease scientist who advised seven presidents. Fauci hopes it can 
inspire more public servants like him.

“I just felt that there 
needed to be a story of people understanding what public health 
officials go through, but also I hope as a source of inspiration for 
young people who are either in science or interested in going into 
science,” he told The Associated Press. The documentary airs Tuesday and
 later streams.

Fauci allowed a film crew to follow him for 23 
months starting in January 2021. The documentary covers his career and 
its crises, especially the way COVID-19 was handled by the Trump 
administration.

“When you talk about all of the different things 
coming together for a disaster, that’s what happened: A divided country,
 a president who amplified the division and then a public health crisis —
 you couldn’t ask for a worse combination of things,” he said.

<a href="http://room608.com/portrait-photos">Director Mark Mannucci</a>
 offers an intimate look at his subject, with images of Fauci running 
from meeting to meeting and wolfing down Wheat Thins between Zooms. His 
wife attests to the stress by pointing out their security detail due to 
threats.

“The story illuminates — and he’d be the first to say it —
 some very dark stuff about this country and how a person who has 
devoted his life to helping individuals got so twisted in this current 
climate,” said Mannucci.

Michael Kantor, executive producer for the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/">American Masters series</a>,
 says Fauci is a figure who has been central to American life for 
decades and deserves an examination, even if some virulently oppose him.

“Dr.
 Fauci is a very controversial figure, and there are going to be people 
who are going to voice — just as in the film — great displeasure about 
what he’s done and about his approach to things. But isn’t that the 
whole point of public media? It is intended to make that conversation 
happen in the best possible way.”

COVID-19 may have introduced 
Fauci to millions of Americans, but his long career at the National 
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was marked by numerous 
previous health scares, among them HIV, SARS, MERS, Ebola and even the 
nation’s 2001 anthrax attacks.

The film shows that Fauci learned a
 lesson in humility with AIDS, as the disease stubbornly persisted and 
activists argued not enough was being done from the government. “I went 
from a world of success and gratification to a world of frustration and 
failure,” he says in the film.

Mannucci's camera flashes-forward 
to today, with Fauci cordially meeting up with the former AIDS activists
 who once decried him. They have long since reconciled; they were all on
 the same side, after all — science.

“I put aside the 
confrontational behavior and the attacks on me and listen to what they 
were saying,” Fauci explained in the interview. “And what they were 
saying was making perfect sense. It made me feel if I were in their 
shoes, I’d be doing exactly what they were doing.”

That's not the 
case when protesters in recent years began attacking Fauci for mask 
mandates, school closures, quarantines and bizarre claims about the 
COVID-19 vaccines.

“There’s one sign that says, ‘Fauci, You’re 
Killing Us’ and the other sign that says ‘Fauci, You’re Killing Us’ but 
the rationale for those from the 1980s to 2023 is enormously different,”
 Fauci said. “They couldn't be more different.”

In one remarkable 
sequence in the documentary, Mannucci presses Fauci on whether he might 
have handled things differently looking back — like asking Americans to 
adopt masks sooner or ordering quarantines faster. “Maybe I should have 
done that,” he says. “Yeah, I was wrong.”

Mannucci relied on 10 
long sit-downs with Fauci to develop trust with his subject and didn't 
clutter the documentary with testimonials from talking heads, wanting to
 focus on Fauci's experiences.

“I hope it’s not viewed as a 
partisan message, but as a portrait of who he is and what he went 
through,” said the director. “I hope that people on the other side, even
 if they never end up agreeing with him, will at least see somebody who 
is a real person, who’s a thinking person, who’s somebody maybe they can
 even relate to.”

The film ends with Fauci's retirement from the 
NIAID late last year. Kantor suspects only time will tell where history 
will judge a man who dedicated his life to public service.

“I 
think 10 years from now, hopefully the furor over him as a controversial
 figure will die down. But the legacy of the approach to pandemics and 
so on will still be super valuable,” he said.

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment WriterNEW YORK (AP) — There's a moment in the new PBS documentary about <a href="https://apnews.com/article/anthony-fauci-announces-retirement-7efdacac6a9ff7aa6e2f870b551fe508">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a> when a protester holds up a handmade sign reading, “Dr. Fauci, You Are Killing Us."It
 says something about Fauci that it's not initially clear when that sign
 was waved in anger — in the 1980s as AIDS made its deadly rise or in 
the 2020s with COVID-19 vaccine opponents.<a href="https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/anthony-fauci-documentary/23072/">“American Masters: Dr. Tony Fauci,”</a>
 offers a portrait of an unlikely lightning rod: A government infectious
 disease scientist who advised seven presidents. Fauci hopes it can 
inspire more public servants like him.“I just felt that there 
needed to be a story of people understanding what public health 
officials go through, but also I hope as a source of inspiration for 
young people who are either in science or interested in going into 
science,” he told The Associated Press. The documentary airs Tuesday and
 later streams.Fauci allowed a film crew to follow him for 23 
months starting in January 2021. The documentary covers his career and 
its crises, especially the way COVID-19 was handled by the Trump 
administration.“When you talk about all of the different things 
coming together for a disaster, that’s what happened: A divided country,
 a president who amplified the division and then a public health crisis —
 you couldn’t ask for a worse combination of things,” he said.<a href="http://room608.com/portrait-photos">Director Mark Mannucci</a>
 offers an intimate look at his subject, with images of Fauci running 
from meeting to meeting and wolfing down Wheat Thins between Zooms. His 
wife attests to the stress by pointing out their security detail due to 
threats.“The story illuminates — and he’d be the first to say it —
 some very dark stuff about this country and how a person who has 
devoted his life to helping individuals got so twisted in this current 
climate,” said Mannucci.Michael Kantor, executive producer for the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/">American Masters series</a>,
 says Fauci is a figure who has been central to American life for 
decades and deserves an examination, even if some virulently oppose him.“Dr.
 Fauci is a very controversial figure, and there are going to be people 
who are going to voice — just as in the film — great displeasure about 
what he’s done and about his approach to things. But isn’t that the 
whole point of public media? It is intended to make that conversation 
happen in the best possible way.”COVID-19 may have introduced 
Fauci to millions of Americans, but his long career at the National 
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was marked by numerous 
previous health scares, among them HIV, SARS, MERS, Ebola and even the 
nation’s 2001 anthrax attacks.The film shows that Fauci learned a
 lesson in humility with AIDS, as the disease stubbornly persisted and 
activists argued not enough was being done from the government. “I went 
from a world of success and gratification to a world of frustration and 
failure,” he says in the film.Mannucci's camera flashes-forward 
to today, with Fauci cordially meeting up with the former AIDS activists
 who once decried him. They have long since reconciled; they were all on
 the same side, after all — science.“I put aside the 
confrontational behavior and the attacks on me and listen to what they 
were saying,” Fauci explained in the interview. “And what they were 
saying was making perfect sense. It made me feel if I were in their 
shoes, I’d be doing exactly what they were doing.”That's not the 
case when protesters in recent years began attacking Fauci for mask 
mandates, school closures, quarantines and bizarre claims about the 
COVID-19 vaccines.“There’s one sign that says, ‘Fauci, You’re 
Killing Us’ and the other sign that says ‘Fauci, You’re Killing Us’ but 
the rationale for those from the 1980s to 2023 is enormously different,”
 Fauci said. “They couldn't be more different.”In one remarkable 
sequence in the documentary, Mannucci presses Fauci on whether he might 
have handled things differently looking back — like asking Americans to 
adopt masks sooner or ordering quarantines faster. “Maybe I should have 
done that,” he says. “Yeah, I was wrong.”Mannucci relied on 10 
long sit-downs with Fauci to develop trust with his subject and didn't 
clutter the documentary with testimonials from talking heads, wanting to
 focus on Fauci's experiences.“I hope it’s not viewed as a 
partisan message, but as a portrait of who he is and what he went 
through,” said the director. “I hope that people on the other side, even
 if they never end up agreeing with him, will at least see somebody who 
is a real person, who’s a thinking person, who’s somebody maybe they can
 even relate to.”The film ends with Fauci's retirement from the 
NIAID late last year. Kantor suspects only time will tell where history 
will judge a man who dedicated his life to public service.“I 
think 10 years from now, hopefully the furor over him as a controversial
 figure will die down. But the legacy of the approach to pandemics and 
so on will still be super valuable,” he said.

Anthony Fauci documentary on PBS covers a career of crises

HONG KONG — Public screenings of a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/winnie-the-pooh-copyright-blood-and-honey-batman-mickey-717bf5a77eed30fe02283f1439ca6cd7">slasher film that features Winnie the Pooh</a> were scrapped abruptly in Hong Kong on Tuesday, sparking discussions over increasing censorship in the city.

Film
 distributor VII Pillars Entertainment announced on Facebook that the 
release of “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” on Thursday had been 
canceled with “great regret” in Hong Kong and neighboring Macao.

In
 an email reply to The Associated Press, the distributor said it was 
notified by cinemas that they could not show the film as scheduled, but 
it didn't know why. The cinema chains involved did not immediately reply
 to a request for comment.

For many residents, the Winnie the Pooh
 character is a playful taunt of China's President Xi Jinping and 
Chinese censors in the past had briefly banned social media searches for
 the bear in the country. In 2018, the film “Christopher Robin,” also 
featuring Winnie the Pooh, was reportedly denied a release in China.

The film being pulled in Hong Kong has prompted concern on social media over the territory’s shrinking freedoms.

The movie was initially set to be shown in about 30 cinemas in Hong Kong, VII Pillars Entertainment wrote last week.

The
 Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration said it had 
approved the film and arrangements by local cinemas to screen approved 
films “are the commercial decisions of the cinemas concerned." It 
refused to comment on such arrangements.

A screening initially 
scheduled for Tuesday night in one cinema was canceled due to “technical
 reasons," the organizer said on Instagram.

Kenny Ng, a professor 
at Hong Kong Baptist University’s academy of film, refused to speculate 
on the reason behind the cancellation, but suggested the mechanism of 
silencing criticism appeared to be resorting to commercial decisions.

Hong
 Kong is a former British colony that returned to China's rule in 1997, 
promising to retain its Western-style freedoms. But China imposed a 
national security law following massive pro-democracy protests in 2019, 
silencing or jailing many dissidents.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-hong-kong-censorship-7f468deea7ab0e637b2ee58fbe28c031">In 2021, the government tightened guidelines</a> and authorized censors to ban films believed to have breached the sweeping law.

Ng
 said the city saw more cases of censorship over the last two years, 
mostly targeting non-commercial movies, such as independent short films.

“When there is a red line, then there are more taboos,” he said.

Associated PressHONG KONG — Public screenings of a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/winnie-the-pooh-copyright-blood-and-honey-batman-mickey-717bf5a77eed30fe02283f1439ca6cd7">slasher film that features Winnie the Pooh</a> were scrapped abruptly in Hong Kong on Tuesday, sparking discussions over increasing censorship in the city.Film
 distributor VII Pillars Entertainment announced on Facebook that the 
release of “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” on Thursday had been 
canceled with “great regret” in Hong Kong and neighboring Macao.In
 an email reply to The Associated Press, the distributor said it was 
notified by cinemas that they could not show the film as scheduled, but 
it didn't know why. The cinema chains involved did not immediately reply
 to a request for comment.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679421169582.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>For many residents, the Winnie the Pooh
 character is a playful taunt of China's President Xi Jinping and 
Chinese censors in the past had briefly banned social media searches for
 the bear in the country. In 2018, the film “Christopher Robin,” also 
featuring Winnie the Pooh, was reportedly denied a release in China.The film being pulled in Hong Kong has prompted concern on social media over the territory’s shrinking freedoms.The movie was initially set to be shown in about 30 cinemas in Hong Kong, VII Pillars Entertainment wrote last week.The
 Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration said it had 
approved the film and arrangements by local cinemas to screen approved 
films “are the commercial decisions of the cinemas concerned." It 
refused to comment on such arrangements.A screening initially 
scheduled for Tuesday night in one cinema was canceled due to “technical
 reasons," the organizer said on Instagram.Kenny Ng, a professor 
at Hong Kong Baptist University’s academy of film, refused to speculate 
on the reason behind the cancellation, but suggested the mechanism of 
silencing criticism appeared to be resorting to commercial decisions.Hong
 Kong is a former British colony that returned to China's rule in 1997, 
promising to retain its Western-style freedoms. But China imposed a 
national security law following massive pro-democracy protests in 2019, 
silencing or jailing many dissidents.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-hong-kong-censorship-7f468deea7ab0e637b2ee58fbe28c031">In 2021, the government tightened guidelines</a> and authorized censors to ban films believed to have breached the sweeping law.Ng
 said the city saw more cases of censorship over the last two years, 
mostly targeting non-commercial movies, such as independent short films.“When there is a red line, then there are more taboos,” he said.

'Winnie the Pooh' film pulled from Hong Kong cinemas

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Taylor Swift opened her U.S. concert series with a three-hour tour of her career.

Swift
 kicked off the first concert of the 52-date Eras Tour with a six-song 
set from her album “Lover” on Friday night at State Farm Stadium in 
Glendale, Arizona, where the Super Bowl was played a month ago.

“I
 don’t know how to address the way this is making me feel right now,” 
Swift, who hasn't toured since 2018, said early in the show.

She ended the concert with a seven-song set from her latest album “Midnights," closing with the song “Karma.”

In
 between she played clusters of songs from most of her albums — and just
 one, “Tim McGraw,” from her 2006 self-titled debut. In the end it took 
44 songs and just over three hours for her to span her 17-year career.

Having
 not toured for her previous three albums, this concert series is 
intended to play catchup by providing the live debut of many of those 
songs. When <a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-phoebe-bridgers-e960c7caddace9a05374ddc7a53211aa">Swift announced the tour</a> in November she called it “a journey through the musical eras of my career (past and present!).”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-af5d58d2a8c6def368ded1bd2ddd8a6f">Swift seemed to acknowledge</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/josh-shapiro-business-taylor-swift-tennessee-e157badef297f7c302615b3a6080ba2a">the Ticketmaster furor</a> that sullied the run-up to the tour when she told the crowd of more than 70,000 that she understands it took <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">“considerable effort” for them to be there</a>.

After
 another show at the same venue Saturday night, the tour moves on to 
Allegiant Stadium outside Las Vegas and then AT&amp;T Stadium near 
Dallas.

It concludes with two Los Angeles-area shows in August.

Associated PressGLENDALE, Ariz. — Taylor Swift opened her U.S. concert series with a three-hour tour of her career.Swift
 kicked off the first concert of the 52-date Eras Tour with a six-song 
set from her album “Lover” on Friday night at State Farm Stadium in 
Glendale, Arizona, where the Super Bowl was played a month ago.“I
 don’t know how to address the way this is making me feel right now,” 
Swift, who hasn't toured since 2018, said early in the show.She ended the concert with a seven-song set from her latest album “Midnights," closing with the song “Karma.”In
 between she played clusters of songs from most of her albums — and just
 one, “Tim McGraw,” from her 2006 self-titled debut. In the end it took 
44 songs and just over three hours for her to span her 17-year career.Having
 not toured for her previous three albums, this concert series is 
intended to play catchup by providing the live debut of many of those 
songs. When <a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-phoebe-bridgers-e960c7caddace9a05374ddc7a53211aa">Swift announced the tour</a> in November she called it “a journey through the musical eras of my career (past and present!).”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-af5d58d2a8c6def368ded1bd2ddd8a6f">Swift seemed to acknowledge</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/josh-shapiro-business-taylor-swift-tennessee-e157badef297f7c302615b3a6080ba2a">the Ticketmaster furor</a> that sullied the run-up to the tour when she told the crowd of more than 70,000 that she understands it took <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">“considerable effort” for them to be there</a>.After
 another show at the same venue Saturday night, the tour moves on to 
Allegiant Stadium outside Las Vegas and then AT&amp;T Stadium near 
Dallas.It concludes with two Los Angeles-area shows in August.