By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer

LAS
 VEGAS — The words “impressive” and “awesome” were common refrains 
from a group of entertainment reporters who were among the first to see 
the upcoming DC superhero movie “The Flash.”

Warner Bros. screened
 the film for the first time at CinemaCon Tuesday for theater owners, 
exhibitors and reporters attending the annual trade show and industry 
conference.

Reviews are embargoed until a later date – the film, 
the studio said, is not completely finished – but viewers were able to 
post reactions on social media as soon as the credits rolled.

Brian
 Welk of Indiewire wrote that “it played very well,” pointing out that 
there were more than a few screams and gasps in the packed theater.

Film
 critic Jordan Hoffman tweeted that it was, “far more madcap than I 
expected. Really nailed what reading a 5-issue crossover comic book is 
like. Tons of Ezra Miller being zany and time paradox stuff. Nerds will 
lose their minds at the ending.”

“The Playlist’s” Greg Ellwood 
wrote that it was “very good” and that Miller was “great,” while Scott 
Mantz went a step further declaring that it’s “one of the very best DC 
movies, a perfect blend of action, heart &amp; humor.”

Erik Davis,
 of Fandango, wrote on Twitter that it is “tremendous" and that it is 
“without a doubt among the best superhero films ever made. An all-timer.
 Inventive storytelling, FANTASTIC action sequences, great cast. SO MANY
 nerdy details.”

Jason Guerrasio, of Business Insider, had a more 
tempered reaction, writing that it is “def not the best superhero movie 
ever made ... but it’s an impressive DC movie with lots of emotion and 
loads of surprises.”

“The Flash,” directed by Andy Muschietti, is 
one of the studio’s biggest films of the year. In the film, Barry Allen 
uses his superpowers to go back in time in an attempt to change the past
 and save his parents. But things go awry and he finds himself stuck in a
 very different reality where Michael Shannon's General Zod is back and 
Batman is not the Batman he knows (Ben Affleck's version). Widely 
available trailers have already revealed that the new Batman he 
encounters is Michael Keaton's version.

After the box office 
disappointment of “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” earlier this year, the hope
 is that “The Flash,” which reportedly carries a $200 million budget, 
will reach blockbuster heights when it opens in theaters on June 16.

The long-planned standalone about The Flash/Barry Allen has also been the subject of much discussion because of its star <a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-indictments-ezra-miller-theft-6a077b5f5b65ad58a3909266cfafc7a1">Ezra Miller</a>, who made headlines last year for a string of arrests and erratic behavior.

Miller
 was arrested twice last year in Hawaii, for disorderly conduct and 
harassment at a karaoke bar and then for second-degree assault. The 
parents of 18-year-old Tokata Iron Eyes, a Native American activist, 
last year filed a protection order against Miller, accusing the actor of
 grooming their child and other inappropriate behavior with her as a 
minor from the age of 12. Tokata Iron Eyes has disputed that.

Miller, who identifies as non-binary and goes by they/them pronouns, said last year that they were <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ezra+miller+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1EJFC_enUS874US874&amp;oq=ezra+miller+&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59l2j0i433i512j69i57j46i433i512j69i61j69i60l2.2186j1j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">seeking mental health treatment</a>.

The
 development of a standalone Flash movie has been in the works for 
almost 10 years. In one plan, announced at Comic Con in 2014, an Ezra 
Miller Flash movie would have hit theaters in 2018. Muschietti wouldn’t 
even be attached to direct until 2019.

Warner Bros. has, 
throughout Miller’s personal troubles and the shelving of “Batgirl,” 
remained steadfast in its plans to release the “The Flash.”

And though <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=james+gunn+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1EJFC_enUS874US874&amp;oq=james+gunn+apnews&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59j0i512j0i395i512j69i60l3.3555j1j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">plans are already underway for a new future for DC Studios</a>,
 “The Flash” has been one that the new regime of James Gunn and Peter 
Safran have seemed particularly excited about. Gunn said it was, “One of
 the best superhero films I’ve ever seen.” And Warner Bros. Discovery 
president and CEO David Zaslav even boasted that Tom Cruise saw and 
loved the film so much that he called Muschietti himself to congratulate
 him.

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film WriterLAS
 VEGAS — The words “impressive” and “awesome” were common refrains 
from a group of entertainment reporters who were among the first to see 
the upcoming DC superhero movie “The Flash.”Warner Bros. screened
 the film for the first time at CinemaCon Tuesday for theater owners, 
exhibitors and reporters attending the annual trade show and industry 
conference.Reviews are embargoed until a later date – the film, 
the studio said, is not completely finished – but viewers were able to 
post reactions on social media as soon as the credits rolled.Brian
 Welk of Indiewire wrote that “it played very well,” pointing out that 
there were more than a few screams and gasps in the packed theater.Film
 critic Jordan Hoffman tweeted that it was, “far more madcap than I 
expected. Really nailed what reading a 5-issue crossover comic book is 
like. Tons of Ezra Miller being zany and time paradox stuff. Nerds will 
lose their minds at the ending.”“The Playlist’s” Greg Ellwood 
wrote that it was “very good” and that Miller was “great,” while Scott 
Mantz went a step further declaring that it’s “one of the very best DC 
movies, a perfect blend of action, heart &amp; humor.”Erik Davis,
 of Fandango, wrote on Twitter that it is “tremendous" and that it is 
“without a doubt among the best superhero films ever made. An all-timer.
 Inventive storytelling, FANTASTIC action sequences, great cast. SO MANY
 nerdy details.”Jason Guerrasio, of Business Insider, had a more 
tempered reaction, writing that it is “def not the best superhero movie 
ever made ... but it’s an impressive DC movie with lots of emotion and 
loads of surprises.”“The Flash,” directed by Andy Muschietti, is 
one of the studio’s biggest films of the year. In the film, Barry Allen 
uses his superpowers to go back in time in an attempt to change the past
 and save his parents. But things go awry and he finds himself stuck in a
 very different reality where Michael Shannon's General Zod is back and 
Batman is not the Batman he knows (Ben Affleck's version). Widely 
available trailers have already revealed that the new Batman he 
encounters is Michael Keaton's version.After the box office 
disappointment of “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” earlier this year, the hope
 is that “The Flash,” which reportedly carries a $200 million budget, 
will reach blockbuster heights when it opens in theaters on June 16.The long-planned standalone about The Flash/Barry Allen has also been the subject of much discussion because of its star <a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-indictments-ezra-miller-theft-6a077b5f5b65ad58a3909266cfafc7a1">Ezra Miller</a>, who made headlines last year for a string of arrests and erratic behavior.Miller
 was arrested twice last year in Hawaii, for disorderly conduct and 
harassment at a karaoke bar and then for second-degree assault. The 
parents of 18-year-old Tokata Iron Eyes, a Native American activist, 
last year filed a protection order against Miller, accusing the actor of
 grooming their child and other inappropriate behavior with her as a 
minor from the age of 12. Tokata Iron Eyes has disputed that.Miller, who identifies as non-binary and goes by they/them pronouns, said last year that they were <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ezra+miller+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1EJFC_enUS874US874&amp;oq=ezra+miller+&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59l2j0i433i512j69i57j46i433i512j69i61j69i60l2.2186j1j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">seeking mental health treatment</a>.The
 development of a standalone Flash movie has been in the works for 
almost 10 years. In one plan, announced at Comic Con in 2014, an Ezra 
Miller Flash movie would have hit theaters in 2018. Muschietti wouldn’t 
even be attached to direct until 2019.Warner Bros. has, 
throughout Miller’s personal troubles and the shelving of “Batgirl,” 
remained steadfast in its plans to release the “The Flash.”And though <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=james+gunn+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1EJFC_enUS874US874&amp;oq=james+gunn+apnews&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59j0i512j0i395i512j69i60l3.3555j1j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">plans are already underway for a new future for DC Studios</a>,
 “The Flash” has been one that the new regime of James Gunn and Peter 
Safran have seemed particularly excited about. Gunn said it was, “One of
 the best superhero films I’ve ever seen.” And Warner Bros. Discovery 
president and CEO David Zaslav even boasted that Tom Cruise saw and 
loved the film so much that he called Muschietti himself to congratulate
 him.

First reactions to DC's ‘The Flash,’ starring Ezra Miller

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK — The 1990s are making a comeback, with scrunchies 
acceptable again, “Night Court” back on TV and fanny packs and flannel 
all the rage. But it’s not the '90s until two of the most idiotic 
teenagers return, sniggering along the way.

That's right, Beavis 
and Butt-Head — forever un-matured — are on the streaming platform 
Paramount+ these days, still mocking culture and saying things like, 
“That cloud looks like a butt.”

“It is almost fun sometimes to 
just go to that lazy part of your brain where you’re just blurting out 
whatever stupid thought comes out,” says Mike Judge, who created the duo
 and voices them.

A second season of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP30WvQy0sc">“Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head”</a>
 kicked off this month with our heroes at school-mandated meditation 
class, an alternative to detention. “This sucks,” says Butt Head, the 
dark-haired one in braces and an AC/DC T-shirt. “Now try to empty your 
mind of all thoughts,” says the teacher. It is surprisingly easy.

There's
 also a visit to a polling place — the boys mistake it for a strip club —
 and later a scheme to buy beer by spray-painting Beavis' hair with 
white paint to make him look older. It goes awry, of course, when he 
gets on a shuttle bus to a retirement community.

The look, feel 
and snark of the show hasn't changed even if there are fewer music 
videos these days. Judge relies on a producer to scour YouTube to find 
videos that might spark a spontaneous put-down. It's all very timeless.

“That’s
 the beauty of ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ — no matter what decade you were 
born in, you’re able to find ways to connect to them and even perhaps 
see bits of yourselves in them,” said Domenic DiMeglio, chief marketing 
officer for Paramount+.

There are a few bizarre tangents, 
particularly the return to an alternative universe where Beavis and 
Butt-Head are middle-aged. Judge devised one episode in which they marry
 each other without realizing it.

The original “Beavis and 
Butt-Head” arrived in 1993 on MTV and became an instant hit, running for
 seven seasons before going on hiatus in 1997. The un-dynamic duo 
returned with an eighth, stand-alone season in 2011, and the series was 
revived last year.

This show’s influence was so strong that it 
spawned a full-length film called “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America” in 
1996 and another titled “Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe" in 2022.

Judge
 says he started to think about returning to his cartoon duo after the 
band Portugal. The Man asked him if he could introduce them with his 
iconic title characters at 2018’s Coachella.

“I thought of it as a
 way of ‘Let me see what it sounds like if my voice still sounds like 
them.’ And I did it. I played it back and it still felt like Beavis and 
Butt-Head. And so that’s partly what got me thinking about doing this 
again.”

The targets have changed, even if some show principles 
have not. If something is already funny, it's usually not a good target.
 And being overexposed is usually a green light. So yesterday's Axl Rose
 became today's Jack Harlow.

This season sees Beavis and Butt-Head
 dunk on Lil Nas X, Audrey Nuna, Bill Gates, Ronald Reagan and even the 
Buddha. There's a bizarre scene in which the boys annoy Jesus and Ganesh
 on an astral plane so much that the deities take turns punching the 
boys.

Judge came up with the original concept at a time when TV 
was filled with yuppies — “The Cosby Show,” “Family Ties,” “The Fresh 
Prince of Bel-Air” and “Mad About You.”

“Maybe some of it was in 
reaction to that — finding a place in comedy that was different,” he 
said. “But I wasn’t trying to be shocking or edgy. I was just trying to 
make it funny.”

There was plenty of blowback. Judge thinks “Beavis
 and Butt-Head” were badly misunderstood back then by some people who 
accused it of contributing to all sorts of poor teen behavior. Judge 
even got death threats.

The cartoon duo have returned to a vastly 
different media landscape, one they had a part in cracking open. Can two
 snarky teens with little social consciousness have the ability to cut 
through the online hype?

Yes, says Paramount+: “Beavis and 
Butt-Head have been doing clever social commentary long before it was 
cool in the age of social media and their no-filter, blissfully ignorant
 POV has always been part of this duo’s DNA," said DiMeglio.

One 
thing the show will not do is wade into politics. In a recent episode, 
Beavis and Butt-Head go hunting — “The outdoors sucks,” says Butt-Head —
 and accidentally drink deer urine. This was an opportunity to raise the
 issue of guns, but Judge has no interest.

“I feel like this is 
comedy and we’re just looking for funny and just trying to give people a
 break from that kind of stuff. I don’t think Beavis and Butt-Head have 
anything to add to that conversation,” he said.

“They’re not 
sophisticated enough to go there. I think that’s what’s comforting about
 it: Just seeing some guys who don’t know any better. They don’t have 
much accountability. They don’t know what the word means.”

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment WriterNEW YORK — The 1990s are making a comeback, with scrunchies 
acceptable again, “Night Court” back on TV and fanny packs and flannel 
all the rage. But it’s not the '90s until two of the most idiotic 
teenagers return, sniggering along the way.That's right, Beavis 
and Butt-Head — forever un-matured — are on the streaming platform 
Paramount+ these days, still mocking culture and saying things like, 
“That cloud looks like a butt.”“It is almost fun sometimes to 
just go to that lazy part of your brain where you’re just blurting out 
whatever stupid thought comes out,” says Mike Judge, who created the duo
 and voices them.A second season of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP30WvQy0sc">“Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head”</a>
 kicked off this month with our heroes at school-mandated meditation 
class, an alternative to detention. “This sucks,” says Butt Head, the 
dark-haired one in braces and an AC/DC T-shirt. “Now try to empty your 
mind of all thoughts,” says the teacher. It is surprisingly easy.There's
 also a visit to a polling place — the boys mistake it for a strip club —
 and later a scheme to buy beer by spray-painting Beavis' hair with 
white paint to make him look older. It goes awry, of course, when he 
gets on a shuttle bus to a retirement community.The look, feel 
and snark of the show hasn't changed even if there are fewer music 
videos these days. Judge relies on a producer to scour YouTube to find 
videos that might spark a spontaneous put-down. It's all very timeless.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682543106950.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“That’s
 the beauty of ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ — no matter what decade you were 
born in, you’re able to find ways to connect to them and even perhaps 
see bits of yourselves in them,” said Domenic DiMeglio, chief marketing 
officer for Paramount+.There are a few bizarre tangents, 
particularly the return to an alternative universe where Beavis and 
Butt-Head are middle-aged. Judge devised one episode in which they marry
 each other without realizing it.The original “Beavis and 
Butt-Head” arrived in 1993 on MTV and became an instant hit, running for
 seven seasons before going on hiatus in 1997. The un-dynamic duo 
returned with an eighth, stand-alone season in 2011, and the series was 
revived last year.This show’s influence was so strong that it 
spawned a full-length film called “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America” in 
1996 and another titled “Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe" in 2022.Judge
 says he started to think about returning to his cartoon duo after the 
band Portugal. The Man asked him if he could introduce them with his 
iconic title characters at 2018’s Coachella.“I thought of it as a
 way of ‘Let me see what it sounds like if my voice still sounds like 
them.’ And I did it. I played it back and it still felt like Beavis and 
Butt-Head. And so that’s partly what got me thinking about doing this 
again.”The targets have changed, even if some show principles 
have not. If something is already funny, it's usually not a good target.
 And being overexposed is usually a green light. So yesterday's Axl Rose
 became today's Jack Harlow.This season sees Beavis and Butt-Head
 dunk on Lil Nas X, Audrey Nuna, Bill Gates, Ronald Reagan and even the 
Buddha. There's a bizarre scene in which the boys annoy Jesus and Ganesh
 on an astral plane so much that the deities take turns punching the 
boys.Judge came up with the original concept at a time when TV 
was filled with yuppies — “The Cosby Show,” “Family Ties,” “The Fresh 
Prince of Bel-Air” and “Mad About You.”“Maybe some of it was in 
reaction to that — finding a place in comedy that was different,” he 
said. “But I wasn’t trying to be shocking or edgy. I was just trying to 
make it funny.”There was plenty of blowback. Judge thinks “Beavis
 and Butt-Head” were badly misunderstood back then by some people who 
accused it of contributing to all sorts of poor teen behavior. Judge 
even got death threats.The cartoon duo have returned to a vastly 
different media landscape, one they had a part in cracking open. Can two
 snarky teens with little social consciousness have the ability to cut 
through the online hype?Yes, says Paramount+: “Beavis and 
Butt-Head have been doing clever social commentary long before it was 
cool in the age of social media and their no-filter, blissfully ignorant
 POV has always been part of this duo’s DNA," said DiMeglio.One 
thing the show will not do is wade into politics. In a recent episode, 
Beavis and Butt-Head go hunting — “The outdoors sucks,” says Butt-Head —
 and accidentally drink deer urine. This was an opportunity to raise the
 issue of guns, but Judge has no interest.“I feel like this is 
comedy and we’re just looking for funny and just trying to give people a
 break from that kind of stuff. I don’t think Beavis and Butt-Head have 
anything to add to that conversation,” he said.“They’re not 
sophisticated enough to go there. I think that’s what’s comforting about
 it: Just seeing some guys who don’t know any better. They don’t have 
much accountability. They don’t know what the word means.”

REVIEW: Beavis and Butt-Head return as wonderfully moronic as ever

NEW YORK (AP) — 
CNN fired longtime host Don Lemon on Monday following his short and 
disastrous run as a morning show host, a little over two months after he
 apologized for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-lemon-nikki-haley-e40445ae824a56e3548c17a029a80775">on-air comments</a> about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley being past her prime.

The
 move quickly turned nasty. While CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht 
announced, after Lemon had co-hosted the show Monday, that they had <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNPR/status/1650535190568026113" target="_blank">“parted ways,”</a> Lemon characterized it as a firing and said it was surprise to him.

“After
 17 years at CNN I would have thought someone in management would have 
the decency to tell me directly,” Lemon said. CNN said that Lemon was 
given the opportunity to meet with management but released a statement 
on Twitter instead.

CNN offered no 
public explanation for Lemon’s dismissal. During a February discussion 
on “CNN This Morning” with co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins 
about the ages of politicians, he said that the 51-year-old Haley was 
not “in her prime.” A woman, he said, was considered in her prime “in 
her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s.”

Harlow challenged 
Lemon, trying to clarify what he was referencing: “I think we need to 
qualify. Are you talking about prime for childbearing or are you talking
 about prime for being president?”

“Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just saying what the facts are,” Lemon responded.

Lemon
 issued a statement the same day saying he regretted his “inartful and 
irrelevant” comments. He was subsequently absent from the show for three
 days, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-tv-nikki-haley-don-lemon-52be979ee7c3b95dbcddedf23683e98c">returning the following week</a> with a tweeted apology but no mention of the episode on air.

Haley,
 who had criticized Lemon’s statements as sexist and used the incident 
to fundraise in February, took to Twitter on Monday to call Lemon’s 
ouster “a great day for women everywhere,” linking to the beverage 
sleeves emblazoned with “Past my prime? Hold my beer.”

Lemon
 used to host the prime-time “Don Lemon Tonight” but moved when the 
network launched “CNN This Morning” last November, just before the U.S. 
midterm elections, as one of the first major programming moves under 
Licht.

NEW YORK (AP) — 
CNN fired longtime host Don Lemon on Monday following his short and 
disastrous run as a morning show host, a little over two months after he
 apologized for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-lemon-nikki-haley-e40445ae824a56e3548c17a029a80775">on-air comments</a> about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley being past her prime.The
 move quickly turned nasty. While CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht 
announced, after Lemon had co-hosted the show Monday, that they had <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNPR/status/1650535190568026113" target="_blank">“parted ways,”</a> Lemon characterized it as a firing and said it was surprise to him. “After
 17 years at CNN I would have thought someone in management would have 
the decency to tell me directly,” Lemon said. CNN said that Lemon was 
given the opportunity to meet with management but released a statement 
on Twitter instead.CNN offered no 
public explanation for Lemon’s dismissal. During a February discussion 
on “CNN This Morning” with co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins 
about the ages of politicians, he said that the 51-year-old Haley was 
not “in her prime.” A woman, he said, was considered in her prime “in 
her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s.”Harlow challenged 
Lemon, trying to clarify what he was referencing: “I think we need to 
qualify. Are you talking about prime for childbearing or are you talking
 about prime for being president?”“Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just saying what the facts are,” Lemon responded.Lemon
 issued a statement the same day saying he regretted his “inartful and 
irrelevant” comments. He was subsequently absent from the show for three
 days, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-tv-nikki-haley-don-lemon-52be979ee7c3b95dbcddedf23683e98c">returning the following week</a> with a tweeted apology but no mention of the episode on air.Haley,
 who had criticized Lemon’s statements as sexist and used the incident 
to fundraise in February, took to Twitter on Monday to call Lemon’s 
ouster “a great day for women everywhere,” linking to the beverage 
sleeves emblazoned with “Past my prime? Hold my beer.”Lemon
 used to host the prime-time “Don Lemon Tonight” but moved when the 
network launched “CNN This Morning” last November, just before the U.S. 
midterm elections, as one of the first major programming moves under 
Licht.

Lemon fired from CNN after divisive morning show run

MANHATTAN -&nbsp;The Kansas Science Festival is on a mission to co-create STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) experiences that spark excitement and curiosity in learners of all ages. 

“Science is part of all our lives whether we realize it or not. We hope to show science is not only occurring at academic institutions, but instead something the entire community participates in,” says Hannah VanLaanen, a medical writer based in Manhattan who serves as Treasurer of the Kansas Science Festival. “Most importantly though, we hope all who join the activities will have fun.”

The Kansas Science Festival is a street festival in Downtown Manhattan on Saturday, April 29 from 11 am to 4 pm. In comparison to last year’s inaugural event, which attracted over 800 visitors, the upcoming festival has vastly expanded, showcasing a broader array of activities.

STEAM practitioners from across the state will share what they think about and do on a daily basis through fun activities suitable for families and learners of all ages.

There will be over 140 presenters in 50 booths spread across Poyntz Ave, the County Plaza, and the Manhattan Public Library. Among other things, visitors will be able to explore a model of a Mars rover, examine hydrogels and bakery science, learn about animal tracks and cancer research, or build and take home their own microscope.The event is rounded out with music inspired by the prairies from Kaw Creek and poetry written on the spot using STEAM-related prompts from the audience. During the event, Poyntz Avenue will be closed between 3rd and 5th Streets to assure the safety of all participants and provide ample space for playing and exploring.

This year, the Kansas Science Festival also includes the Dopamine Dash, an “Amazing Race”-style event that will test your physical and mental endurance. In this family-friendly race, individual participants or teams will run or walk a 2.5-mile course from downtown Manhattan around City Park and back. While this is a timed event, it’s not just about covering the distance the fastest—participants will have to complete science puzzles along the way. The race start is at 9:30 am and participants can register through the following website: <a href="https://scienceks.org/dopamine-dash/">https://scienceks.org/dopamine-dash/</a>

“We have only been able to organize such a wide array of events thanks to the generous support of the people and organizations that make up our communities”, says Michi Tobler, President of the Kansas Science Festival. “I am particularly grateful for the many STEAM practitioners that are taking the time to showcase the amazing diversity of ways Kansans learn and know about the world around us, and for the event sponsors that have contributed resources to make these events possible.”

The BioKansas Innovation Festival and Evergy are the presenting sponsors of this year’s Kansas Science Festival. A number of other sponsors and community partners—including Downtown Manhattan, the Manhattan Public Library, and Sunset Zoo—have helped to make the 2023 events a reality.

For more information or to contribute to this year's festival, visit us at <a href="https://scienceks.org">https://scienceks.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682353570431.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>From Kansas Science FestivalMANHATTAN -&nbsp;The Kansas Science Festival is on a mission to co-create STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) experiences that spark excitement and curiosity in learners of all ages. “Science is part of all our lives whether we realize it or not. We hope to show science is not only occurring at academic institutions, but instead something the entire community participates in,” says Hannah VanLaanen, a medical writer based in Manhattan who serves as Treasurer of the Kansas Science Festival. “Most importantly though, we hope all who join the activities will have fun.”The Kansas Science Festival is a street festival in Downtown Manhattan on Saturday, April 29 from 11 am to 4 pm. In comparison to last year’s inaugural event, which attracted over 800 visitors, the upcoming festival has vastly expanded, showcasing a broader array of activities.STEAM practitioners from across the state will share what they think about and do on a daily basis through fun activities suitable for families and learners of all ages.There will be over 140 presenters in 50 booths spread across Poyntz Ave, the County Plaza, and the Manhattan Public Library. Among other things, visitors will be able to explore a model of a Mars rover, examine hydrogels and bakery science, learn about animal tracks and cancer research, or build and take home their own microscope.The event is rounded out with music inspired by the prairies from Kaw Creek and poetry written on the spot using STEAM-related prompts from the audience. During the event, Poyntz Avenue will be closed between 3rd and 5th Streets to assure the safety of all participants and provide ample space for playing and exploring.This year, the Kansas Science Festival also includes the Dopamine Dash, an “Amazing Race”-style event that will test your physical and mental endurance. In this family-friendly race, individual participants or teams will run or walk a 2.5-mile course from downtown Manhattan around City Park and back. While this is a timed event, it’s not just about covering the distance the fastest—participants will have to complete science puzzles along the way. The race start is at 9:30 am and participants can register through the following website: <a href="https://scienceks.org/dopamine-dash/">https://scienceks.org/dopamine-dash/</a>“We have only been able to organize such a wide array of events thanks to the generous support of the people and organizations that make up our communities”, says Michi Tobler, President of the Kansas Science Festival. “I am particularly grateful for the many STEAM practitioners that are taking the time to showcase the amazing diversity of ways Kansans learn and know about the world around us, and for the event sponsors that have contributed resources to make these events possible.”The BioKansas Innovation Festival and Evergy are the presenting sponsors of this year’s Kansas Science Festival. A number of other sponsors and community partners—including Downtown Manhattan, the Manhattan Public Library, and Sunset Zoo—have helped to make the 2023 events a reality.For more information or to contribute to this year's festival, visit us at <a href="https://scienceks.org">https://scienceks.org</a>.

Kansas Science Festival returns to Downtown MHK on April 29

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 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

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.

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.