WASHINGTON — Elton John said Friday that he’d played in some beautiful venues, but the stage in front of the White House, beneath a massive tent on a perfect autumn night, was “probably the icing on the cake.” Then he kicked off the show with “Your Song,” his first big international hit. President Joe Biden … Read more
BANGKOK — A model from Myanmar who denounced her country’s military rulers last year from the stage of a beauty pageant in Thailand said Friday she fears she may be forced back home. Thaw Nandar Aung, also known as Han Lay, told The Associated Press by phone that she was stuck at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport … Read more
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — The COVID pandemic forced most US casinos to close for months, causing payrolls, revenue and earnings to tumble. But the forced shutdowns and highly regulated recoveries also taught the industry some useful pandemic that will endure even after the is a distant memory, panelists at a major casino conference said Thursday. … Read more
NEW YORK — Joan Didion’s precision with words extended even to ones she would never live to hear, such as those used during a small, private service this spring at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. “She left very clear directions about what she wanted to happen at that service,” the Very Rev. Patrick … Read more
WASHINGTON — Celebrities are back at the White House following a pop-culture backlash during the Trump years, when just about anyone considered high-wattage refused to show up. Rocker Elton John is bringing his farewell tour to the South Lawn on Friday, the White House announced Tuesday, one week after singer James Taylor and hosts Jonathan … Read more
LOS ANGELES — Detectives have handed the results of their 19-month investigation into sexual assault claims against Marilyn Manson to prosecutors, who will consider whether to file criminal charges, authorities said Tuesday. Investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department gave the case of the 53-year-old rocker, whose legal name is Brian Hugh Warner, to … Read more
LONDON — The cannons have sounded, the bells have rung and the mourners have paid their respects. Now King Charles III faces the task of preserving a 1,000-year-old monarchy that his mother nurtured for seven decades but that faces an uncertain future. The challenge is immense. Personal affection for the queen meant that the monarchy’s … Read more
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In director Adam McKay’s “Don’t Look Up,” a 2021 satire about two scientists who try in vain to warn the world about a planet-destroying comet, the scientists’ desperate plea for action ultimately doesn’t work. But don’t take that as McKay’s view on the power of activism to change the course of the … Read more
LOS ANGELES — When Amanda Gorman was invited to read a newly developed poem at the UN General Assembly, the young sensation took a deep look at how several social issues — such as hunger and poverty — have impacted Earth’s preservation. Just like her stirring inauguration poem last year, Gorman felt compelled to express … Read more
A Russian mega-pop star’s criticism of President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has set off intense reactions on social media, posing a critical question: Will the iconic singer’s disapproving Instagram post mark a turning point in Russian public opinion? At the risk of being branded a traitor, Alla Pugacheva used her famous voice over the … Read more
