By COLE REIF Great Bend Post

At last week’s Barton Community College Board of Trustees study session, Chief Communications Officer Maggie Harris gave board members an outline of the college’s marketing plan. The presentation highlighted how Barton is targeting potential students with advertising and how the college is promoting their events and what they have to offer. Harris noted digital media is increasing as a platform to advertise on with applications like Facebook, YouTube and even TikTok. Trustee Don Learned questioned the college’s use of TikTok, a social media, short-form video hosting service owned by a Chinese company. TikTok has received criticism over user privacy. The majority of the states have banned the application on government-issued devices. Harris said Barton will continue to monitor regulations regarding the usage of the app. "All of our competitors and peers are using it," said Harris. "We're just reaching our students where they're at. That is our goal...to find where they are and to reach them. I know there is a lot of controversy with it, and we're keeping track of all of those conversations." Learned was concerned from stories in the news regarding TikTok’s connections to the Chinese government. While United States agencies continue to investigate the security and use of TikTok, Barton Trustee Chairman Mike Johnson said the app is still effective in marketing the college’s message to the younger population. "I think we all know of the stories that are in the news daily," said Johnson. "Honestly, I think we're going to see it take care of itself in the next year or two through regulation. Don, I agree with you. I think it's an issue, but I think we can't hamper our recruitment process when everyone else is still doing it." Along with digital advertising, Barton diversifies its marketing through traditional media such as print, television and radio. The communications department also looks at advertising opportunities through sponsorships and high school yearbooks and publications.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679065552021.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostAt last week’s Barton Community College Board of Trustees study session, Chief Communications Officer Maggie Harris gave board members an outline of the college’s marketing plan. The presentation highlighted how Barton is targeting potential students with advertising and how the college is promoting their events and what they have to offer. Harris noted digital media is increasing as a platform to advertise on with applications like Facebook, YouTube and even TikTok. Trustee Don Learned questioned the college’s use of TikTok, a social media, short-form video hosting service owned by a Chinese company. TikTok has received criticism over user privacy. The majority of the states have banned the application on government-issued devices. Harris said Barton will continue to monitor regulations regarding the usage of the app. "All of our competitors and peers are using it," said Harris. "We're just reaching our students where they're at. That is our goal...to find where they are and to reach them. I know there is a lot of controversy with it, and we're keeping track of all of those conversations." Learned was concerned from stories in the news regarding TikTok’s connections to the Chinese government. While United States agencies continue to investigate the security and use of TikTok, Barton Trustee Chairman Mike Johnson said the app is still effective in marketing the college’s message to the younger population. "I think we all know of the stories that are in the news daily," said Johnson. "Honestly, I think we're going to see it take care of itself in the next year or two through regulation. Don, I agree with you. I think it's an issue, but I think we can't hamper our recruitment process when everyone else is still doing it." Along with digital advertising, Barton diversifies its marketing through traditional media such as print, television and radio. The communications department also looks at advertising opportunities through sponsorships and high school yearbooks and publications.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Barton Trustee questions college’s use of TikTok advertising

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — The Ringling Bros. and Barnum &amp; Bailey circus has been reimagined and reborn without animals as a high-octane family event with highwire tricks, soaring trapeze artists and bicycles leaping on trampolines.

Feld Entertainment, which owns the “Greatest Show on Earth,” revealed to The Associated Press what audiences can expect during the show's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ringling.com/">upcoming 2023 North American tour kicking off this fall.</a>

The 75 performers from 18 countries will include performers on a triangular high wire 25 feet off the ground, crisscrossing flying trapeze artists, a spinning double wheel powered by acrobats and BMX trail bikes, unicycle riders and skateboarders doing flips and tricks.

The tour kicks off in Baltimore from Nov. 24-26 and then goes to Louisiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana and ends the year in Oklahoma. It restarts in 2024 in Florida, home to Feld Entertainment.

The show is a complete rethink of a modern circus. Feld Entertainment has been working on everything from how to integrate clowns, the branding and the merchandise over the past four years.

“We knew we were going to come back. We didn’t know exactly how,” says Kenneth Feld, chair and chief executive officer of Feld Entertainment. “It took us a long time to really delve in and take a look at Ringling in different ways. It became a re-imagination, a rethinking of how we were going to do it.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-travel-us-news-lifestyle-ap-top-news-a2355972eea14b2e93e00a9654fd55fb">The circus took down its tents after years of declining ticket sales as customers became conflicted about the treatment of circus animals.</a>&nbsp;Costly court battles led to the end of elephant acts in 2016. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals have praised the “animal-free revamp.”

The rebirth extends the circus’ long run that dates back to a time before automobiles, airplanes or movies, when Ulysses S. Grant was president and minstrel shows were popular entertainment.

“There is no substitute for live entertainment. You cannot get an emotional response from people looking at a two-dimensional screen as you can when they are experiencing 'The Greatest Show on Earth’ or any kind of live entertainment,” says Feld.

The new production design includes moveable staircases and two main stages. Audiences will have a 360-degree view with live camera feeds and virtual reality, and lighting and sound design that tracks the performer.

“The technology in the show is about enhancing experience, not just technology,” said Juliette Feld Grossman, chief operating officer of Feld Entertainment. “We have so much activity and action so we want to make sure that we never miss the biggest moments in the show.”

Grossman said that when she and her team were rethinking what the circus could be, they landed on the concept of fun and a sense of play being critical. She promises to “give the audience something that they haven’t seen or that they didn’t even know to anticipate.”

The Feld family, which bought the circus in 1967, has branched out, buying and creating other large-scale touring shows, such as Disney on Ice, Marvel Live and Monster Jam. Feld said that there is something about the circus that people hold dear.

“Why there is a circus and a form of circus literally every place on the planet is that people emotionally are basically the same,” he said.

“When you’re on a high wire and you’re doing a backward somersault on the wire or you’re doing something really extraordinary, I don’t care where you are. You appreciate that. You understand the danger of it, the thrill of it.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) — The Ringling Bros. and Barnum &amp; Bailey circus has been reimagined and reborn without animals as a high-octane family event with highwire tricks, soaring trapeze artists and bicycles leaping on trampolines.Feld Entertainment, which owns the “Greatest Show on Earth,” revealed to The Associated Press what audiences can expect during the show's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ringling.com/">upcoming 2023 North American tour kicking off this fall.</a>The 75 performers from 18 countries will include performers on a triangular high wire 25 feet off the ground, crisscrossing flying trapeze artists, a spinning double wheel powered by acrobats and BMX trail bikes, unicycle riders and skateboarders doing flips and tricks.The tour kicks off in Baltimore from Nov. 24-26 and then goes to Louisiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana and ends the year in Oklahoma. It restarts in 2024 in Florida, home to Feld Entertainment.The show is a complete rethink of a modern circus. Feld Entertainment has been working on everything from how to integrate clowns, the branding and the merchandise over the past four years.“We knew we were going to come back. We didn’t know exactly how,” says Kenneth Feld, chair and chief executive officer of Feld Entertainment. “It took us a long time to really delve in and take a look at Ringling in different ways. It became a re-imagination, a rethinking of how we were going to do it.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-travel-us-news-lifestyle-ap-top-news-a2355972eea14b2e93e00a9654fd55fb">The circus took down its tents after years of declining ticket sales as customers became conflicted about the treatment of circus animals.</a>&nbsp;Costly court battles led to the end of elephant acts in 2016. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals have praised the “animal-free revamp.”The rebirth extends the circus’ long run that dates back to a time before automobiles, airplanes or movies, when Ulysses S. Grant was president and minstrel shows were popular entertainment.“There is no substitute for live entertainment. You cannot get an emotional response from people looking at a two-dimensional screen as you can when they are experiencing 'The Greatest Show on Earth’ or any kind of live entertainment,” says Feld.The new production design includes moveable staircases and two main stages. Audiences will have a 360-degree view with live camera feeds and virtual reality, and lighting and sound design that tracks the performer.“The technology in the show is about enhancing experience, not just technology,” said Juliette Feld Grossman, chief operating officer of Feld Entertainment. “We have so much activity and action so we want to make sure that we never miss the biggest moments in the show.”Grossman said that when she and her team were rethinking what the circus could be, they landed on the concept of fun and a sense of play being critical. She promises to “give the audience something that they haven’t seen or that they didn’t even know to anticipate.”The Feld family, which bought the circus in 1967, has branched out, buying and creating other large-scale touring shows, such as Disney on Ice, Marvel Live and Monster Jam. Feld said that there is something about the circus that people hold dear.“Why there is a circus and a form of circus literally every place on the planet is that people emotionally are basically the same,” he said.“When you’re on a high wire and you’re doing a backward somersault on the wire or you’re doing something really extraordinary, I don’t care where you are. You appreciate that. You understand the danger of it, the thrill of it.”

Reborn Ringling Bros. circus to leap on tour — minus animals

NEW YORK (AP) — There's a moment in the new PBS documentary about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/anthony-fauci-announces-retirement-7efdacac6a9ff7aa6e2f870b551fe508">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>&nbsp;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>&nbsp;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>&nbsp;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&nbsp;<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.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) — There's a moment in the new PBS documentary about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/anthony-fauci-announces-retirement-7efdacac6a9ff7aa6e2f870b551fe508">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>&nbsp;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>&nbsp;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>&nbsp;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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/">American Masters series</a>, says Fauci is a figure who has been central to American life for decades and deserves an examination, even if some virulently oppose him.“Dr. Fauci is a very controversial figure, and there are going to be people who are going to voice — just as in the film — great displeasure about what he’s done and about his approach to things. But isn’t that the whole point of public media? It is intended to make that conversation happen in the best possible way.”COVID-19 may have introduced Fauci to millions of Americans, but his long career at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was marked by numerous previous health scares, among them HIV, SARS, MERS, Ebola and even the nation’s 2001 anthrax attacks.The film shows that Fauci learned a lesson in humility with AIDS, as the disease stubbornly persisted and activists argued not enough was being done from the government. “I went from a world of success and gratification to a world of frustration and failure,” he says in the film.Mannucci's camera flashes-forward to today, with Fauci cordially meeting up with the former AIDS activists who once decried him. They have long since reconciled; they were all on the same side, after all — science.“I put aside the confrontational behavior and the attacks on me and listen to what they were saying,” Fauci explained in the interview. “And what they were saying was making perfect sense. It made me feel if I were in their shoes, I’d be doing exactly what they were doing.”That's not the case when protesters in recent years began attacking Fauci for mask mandates, school closures, quarantines and bizarre claims about the COVID-19 vaccines.“There’s one sign that says, ‘Fauci, You’re Killing Us’ and the other sign that says ‘Fauci, You’re Killing Us’ but the rationale for those from the 1980s to 2023 is enormously different,” Fauci said. “They couldn't be more different.”In one remarkable sequence in the documentary, Mannucci presses Fauci on whether he might have handled things differently looking back — like asking Americans to adopt masks sooner or ordering quarantines faster. “Maybe I should have done that,” he says. “Yeah, I was wrong.”Mannucci relied on 10 long sit-downs with Fauci to develop trust with his subject and didn't clutter the documentary with testimonials from talking heads, wanting to focus on Fauci's experiences.“I hope it’s not viewed as a partisan message, but as a portrait of who he is and what he went through,” said the director. “I hope that people on the other side, even if they never end up agreeing with him, will at least see somebody who is a real person, who’s a thinking person, who’s somebody maybe they can even relate to.”The film ends with Fauci's retirement from the NIAID late last year. Kantor suspects only time will tell where history will judge a man who dedicated his life to public service.“I think 10 years from now, hopefully the furor over him as a controversial figure will die down. But the legacy of the approach to pandemics and so on will still be super valuable,” he said.

Anthony Fauci documentary on PBS covers a career of crises

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DARLENE%20SUPERVILLE%20and%20ZEKE%20MILLER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso used a White House visit Monday to encourage people, even in politically divided Washington, to make it a point to check in often with friends, family and co-workers to "ask how they're doing, and listen, sincerely,”

Comedian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jason-sudeikis">Jason Sudeikis</a>, who plays the title character — an American coaching a soccer team in London — and other cast members were meeting with President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and first lady Jill Biden to talk about how mental health contributes to overall well-being.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mental-health">Mental health</a>&nbsp;and looking after one another is a theme of “Ted Lasso,” Sudeikis told reporters from the lectern as he helped press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre open her daily White House briefing. The Emmy-winning, feel-good show on Apple TV+ just opened its third season.

“While it’s easier said than done, we also have to know that we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help ourselves," Sudeikis said. "That does take a lot, especially when it’s something that has such a negative stigma to it, such as mental health and it doesn’t need to be that way.

“And if you can ask for that help from a professional, fantastic,” he continued. "If it needs to be a loved one, equally as good, in a lot of ways.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-xavier-becerra-roy-blunt-mental-debbie-stabenow-c0ceb3cfae563cec8e18452970b49236">Mental health is part of Biden's bipartisan “unity agenda.”</a>&nbsp;He has called on lawmakers to direct more resources toward fighting what some say is a crisis, and the administration has surged funding to bolster a new 988 suicide and crisis line and put more mental-health professionals in schools.

Sudeikis said there should be no stigma attached to reaching out for help because everyone knows someone who has needed a shoulder to lean on, or has been that person themselves.

“No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter who you voted for, we all probably, I assume, we all know someone who has, or have been that someone ourselves actually, that’s struggled, that’s felt isolated, that’s felt anxious, that has felt alone," he said.

“It’s actually one of the many things, believe it or not, that we all have in common as human beings," Sudeikis continued. “That means it's something that we can all, you know, and should, talk about with one another when we’re feeling that way or when we recognize that in someone feeling that way.”

He issued a special appeal for people in the nation's capital.

“I know in this town a lot of folks don’t always agree, right, and don’t always feel heard, seen, listened to," Sudeikis said. "But I truly believe we should all do our best to help take care of each other. That’s my own personal belief. I think that’s something that everyone up here on stage believes in.”

The Bidens have seen some of “Ted Lasso” and are familiar with its messages of hope and kindness, according to the White House.

Joining Sudeikis at the daily briefing were cast members Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Toheeb Jimoh. The group was given a tour of the president's private living quarters, a White House official said.

As he left the briefing room, Sudeikis was asked if he would do the Joe Biden impression he used to do on “Saturday Night Live,” but he declined, saying that “they got the real one here now."

Sudeikis and the cast were the latest entertainers to visit the White House and associate themselves with issues the Democratic president and first lady are raising awareness about.

Singer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olivia-rodrigo-visits-white-house-vaccines-07aeaeb169aa7daed999dd48d57e06a0">Olivia Rodrigo</a>&nbsp;visited during the pandemic to help encourage young people like herself to get vaccinated against COVID-19.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-entertainment-crime-music-ac45b9c4e96f1f4f349dbf61253d1de3">BTS, the popular Korean boy band</a>, helped promote Asian inclusion and combat bias against Asian Americans.

Actor Matthew&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-matthew-mcconaughey-texas-shootings-f9becb7d2810c25056367b8cbd5fb20e">McConaughey</a>&nbsp;delivered a passionate appeal for tighter gun laws last year after the shooting at an elementary school in his hometown, Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 children and two teachers.

Singer/actors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-entertainment-health-jill-government-and-politics-a662294f8cdb930e5b8a26c42b07dba1">Mary J. Blige</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-health-jill-biden-mental-1ebf72305a84aa70e14a8903ec90cad4">Selena Gomez</a>&nbsp;participated in separate events with Jill Biden focused on cancer awareness and youth mental health, respectively, and singer Sam Smith and Cyndi Lauper performed the day Biden signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-marriage-united-states-government-virginia-state-4968ff59107e511609fc3e301890942e">gay marriage legislation</a>&nbsp;into law in December.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DARLENE%20SUPERVILLE%20and%20ZEKE%20MILLER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — Fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso used a White House visit Monday to encourage people, even in politically divided Washington, to make it a point to check in often with friends, family and co-workers to "ask how they're doing, and listen, sincerely,”Comedian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jason-sudeikis">Jason Sudeikis</a>, who plays the title character — an American coaching a soccer team in London — and other cast members were meeting with President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and first lady Jill Biden to talk about how mental health contributes to overall well-being.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mental-health">Mental health</a>&nbsp;and looking after one another is a theme of “Ted Lasso,” Sudeikis told reporters from the lectern as he helped press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre open her daily White House briefing. The Emmy-winning, feel-good show on Apple TV+ just opened its third season.“While it’s easier said than done, we also have to know that we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help ourselves," Sudeikis said. "That does take a lot, especially when it’s something that has such a negative stigma to it, such as mental health and it doesn’t need to be that way.“And if you can ask for that help from a professional, fantastic,” he continued. "If it needs to be a loved one, equally as good, in a lot of ways.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-xavier-becerra-roy-blunt-mental-debbie-stabenow-c0ceb3cfae563cec8e18452970b49236">Mental health is part of Biden's bipartisan “unity agenda.”</a>&nbsp;He has called on lawmakers to direct more resources toward fighting what some say is a crisis, and the administration has surged funding to bolster a new 988 suicide and crisis line and put more mental-health professionals in schools.Sudeikis said there should be no stigma attached to reaching out for help because everyone knows someone who has needed a shoulder to lean on, or has been that person themselves.“No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter who you voted for, we all probably, I assume, we all know someone who has, or have been that someone ourselves actually, that’s struggled, that’s felt isolated, that’s felt anxious, that has felt alone," he said.“It’s actually one of the many things, believe it or not, that we all have in common as human beings," Sudeikis continued. “That means it's something that we can all, you know, and should, talk about with one another when we’re feeling that way or when we recognize that in someone feeling that way.”He issued a special appeal for people in the nation's capital.“I know in this town a lot of folks don’t always agree, right, and don’t always feel heard, seen, listened to," Sudeikis said. "But I truly believe we should all do our best to help take care of each other. That’s my own personal belief. I think that’s something that everyone up here on stage believes in.”The Bidens have seen some of “Ted Lasso” and are familiar with its messages of hope and kindness, according to the White House.Joining Sudeikis at the daily briefing were cast members Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Toheeb Jimoh. The group was given a tour of the president's private living quarters, a White House official said.As he left the briefing room, Sudeikis was asked if he would do the Joe Biden impression he used to do on “Saturday Night Live,” but he declined, saying that “they got the real one here now."Sudeikis and the cast were the latest entertainers to visit the White House and associate themselves with issues the Democratic president and first lady are raising awareness about.Singer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olivia-rodrigo-visits-white-house-vaccines-07aeaeb169aa7daed999dd48d57e06a0">Olivia Rodrigo</a>&nbsp;visited during the pandemic to help encourage young people like herself to get vaccinated against COVID-19.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-entertainment-crime-music-ac45b9c4e96f1f4f349dbf61253d1de3">BTS, the popular Korean boy band</a>, helped promote Asian inclusion and combat bias against Asian Americans.Actor Matthew&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-matthew-mcconaughey-texas-shootings-f9becb7d2810c25056367b8cbd5fb20e">McConaughey</a>&nbsp;delivered a passionate appeal for tighter gun laws last year after the shooting at an elementary school in his hometown, Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 children and two teachers.Singer/actors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-entertainment-health-jill-government-and-politics-a662294f8cdb930e5b8a26c42b07dba1">Mary J. Blige</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-health-jill-biden-mental-1ebf72305a84aa70e14a8903ec90cad4">Selena Gomez</a>&nbsp;participated in separate events with Jill Biden focused on cancer awareness and youth mental health, respectively, and singer Sam Smith and Cyndi Lauper performed the day Biden signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-marriage-united-states-government-virginia-state-4968ff59107e511609fc3e301890942e">gay marriage legislation</a>&nbsp;into law in December.

'Ted Lasso' visits White House, promotes mental health care

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22The%20Associated%20Press%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By The Associated Press</a>

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.

— The Oscar-nominated “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” was one of the high points in documentary in the past year. In it, Laura Poitras chronicles the pioneering photographer Nan Goldin, juxtaposing an intimate survey of her groundbreaking work in 1970s and 1980s New York and her contemporary crusade against the Sackler family, owners of the Oxycontin-maker Purdue Pharma. Goldin, who has herself wrestled with addiction, led the campaign to eradicate the Sackler name from many of the world’s top museums. Though the film didn’t win at the Oscars —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nan-goldin-oscars-laura-poitras-all-beauty-bloodshed-sackler-ddce3f39d8da01388bdd4fee3009cedf">something Goldin told me she was surprised to find she wanted</a>&nbsp;— it took the top prize of the Venice Film Festival.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/all-the-beauty-and-bloodshed-film-reviews-venice-festival-entertainment-travel-8b2ba7317de163a98391b272a4d62c19">In her review,</a>&nbsp;AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called the film” a “holistic portrait of an artist’s battle cry.” After debuting Sunday, March 19, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” is available to stream on HBO Max.

— “Top Gun: Maverick” did come away with an Academy Award, for best sound. But one of the biggest box office hits of the year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oscars-academy-awards-2023-0366eeec948d96f3126d0725cdec5074">otherwise struck out at the Oscars.</a>&nbsp;After an uncommonly long run in theaters, a lucrative stop on video on demand and a streaming launch on Paramount+, “Top Gun Maverick” arrives on a larger streaming platform Friday, March 24th, when it touches down on Amazon’s Prime Video.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/top-gun-maverick-film-review-dfe987ecf3250c3f0103da09b3dc76dc">In his review,</a>&nbsp;AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy called “Maverick” “a textbook example of how to make a sequel.”

— This month, the Criterion Channel has been paying tribute to the greatest comic artist of the 20th century: Buster Keaton.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.criterionchannel.com/starring-buster-keaton/season:1">With five features and more than a dozen shorts,</a>&nbsp;the series is an unbeatable feast. You can’t go wrong but a few highlights: Keaton’s glorious Olympic finale in “College”; his deft ladder balancing act in “Cops”; and his escape, through a high window, from an angry police chief-slash-furious-father in “The Goat.” With apologies to Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, nobody did it better.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP">AP Film Writer Jake Coyle</a>

— Fans of Lana Del Rey got two albums in 2021 — “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” and Blue Banisters” but nothing full-length in 2022. Now she’s got “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” set to drop Friday. One of the singles,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYqky795R1s">”A&amp;W,”</a>&nbsp;offers a glimpse at the sing-songwriter’s bleak poetry: “Puts the shower on while he calls me/Slips out the back door to talk to me/I’m invisible, look how you hold me/I’m a ghost now.” The album features Jack Antonoff, Father John Misty, Jon Batiste and more.

— Back in 1984, Phil Collins and Philip Bailey had a hit with the song&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkRKT6T0QLg">“Easy Lover.”</a>&nbsp;These days, UK pop star Ellie Goulding and Big Sean&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDht4fSRLgk">have a song with the same title</a>&nbsp;that’s just as infectiously fun, part of Goulding’s 11-track album “Higher Than Heaven.” The songs marry her ethereal voice to strong dance hooks, from the ’80s-inspired “By the End of the Night” and “Just 4 You” to the modern pop of “Cure for Love.”

— Do you have what it takes to be a country music’s next big star? Then tune into Apple TV+’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-rsqQJ2pXs">“My Kind of Country,”</a>&nbsp;in which Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and Orville Peck search for talented amateur artists and invite them to Nashville, Tennessee, for a showcase. Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves also are featured in the series, set to premiere globally on Friday.

— 6lack is 6ack! The Atlanta singer-songwriter and rapper known as 6lack — pronounced “black” — returns with “Since I Have a Lover,” his first album in nearly five years.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVgmYNA8J1k">The title track</a>&nbsp;is a airy, sweet ode to love with the lyrics: “Feel like a million bucks or somethin’/ Feel like we need to be up to somethin’/ Not tryna press my luck or nothin’/Don’t wanna love you just for fun.” The artist, raised in Zone 6 of Atlanta, has been doing a lot of collaborations since his last album, including Lil Tjay’s “Calling My Phone” and more recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_75_2fWFhY">Jessie Reyez’s “Forever.”</a>

—&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/kennedytwits?lang=en">AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy</a>

— Fans of shows including “Jack Ryan” and “The Recruit,” about low-level government agency workers who get pulled into danger and secret missions, should check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDbnY9Obsfs">“The Night Agent”</a>&nbsp;on Netflix. It follows an FBI agent tasked with manning an overnight emergency phone that surprisingly rings during one of his shifts. A desperate civilian is on the other end of the call and together, they find themselves embroiled in a major government conspiracy. The series stars Gabriel Russo and Luciane Buchanan and is based on the novel by Matthew Quirk. “The Night Agent” debuts Thursday.

— Mae Whitman, best-known for her roles in “Parenthood” and “Good Girls,” demonstrates she can also sing in her new rom-com series&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crhL1eOjf4U">“Up Here”</a>&nbsp;for Hulu. Set in 1999 in New York, Whitman plays Lindsay who falls for Miguel — played by Carlos Valdes (“The Flash” and “Gaslit”) — and the will-they, won’t-they find a happily ever after ensues. The series boasts some major behind-the-scenes musical talent. EGOT winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, behind that little animated film that could “Frozen,” are co-executive producers and wrote the show’s original music. The show has a whimsical, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”-vibe, plus there are fun late-'90s references including Y2K. All eight-episodes drop Friday, the same day the soundtrack lands.

— Kiefer Sutherland is back with another high-stakes TV drama in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfbdNfdmQAY">“Rabbit Hole”</a>&nbsp;for Paramount+. He plays John Weir, a corporate spy skilled in the art of deception – until he finds the rug pulled out from underneath him and he is framed for murder. Weir goes from having total control to none, and unsure of who can be trusted. “Rabbit Hole” premieres with two episodes on Sunday.

— Annapurna Interactive has developed a nearly impeccable reputation among connoisseurs of indie video games, from 2017’s groundbreaking mystery What Remains of Edith Finch to 2022’s futuristic cat sim Stray. The publisher’s latest release is&nbsp;<a href="https://annapurnainteractive.com/en/games/storyteller">Storyteller</a>, a long-brewing project from Argentine designer Daniel Benmergui. The premise is simple: You have a library of characters, objects, events and other plot devices, and your job is arrange them to tell a particular type of tale. It’s a puzzle game that pays homage to classic literature, and the graphics ooze charm. Start spinning your own yarns Thursday on Nintendo Switch and PC.

— Death, the CEO of Death Inc., is burned out. His top minions — the executives in charge of Natural Disasters, Modern Warfare, Toxic Food-Processing and other misery-producing departments — are going about their business way too enthusiastically, and Death needs them to settle down before he drowns in paperwork. In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haveanicedeath.com/en">Have a Nice Death</a>, from France’s Magic Design Studios, you wield Death’s scythe as he hacks and slashes his way through the red tape. The vibrant, angular 2D graphics are reminiscent of the classic Rayman, which some members of Magic Design’s team worked on. The not-so-grim reaping comes to Nintendo Switch and PC on Wednesday.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/lkesten">Lou Kesten</a>

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22The%20Associated%20Press%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By The Associated Press</a>Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.MOVIES— The Oscar-nominated “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” was one of the high points in documentary in the past year. In it, Laura Poitras chronicles the pioneering photographer Nan Goldin, juxtaposing an intimate survey of her groundbreaking work in 1970s and 1980s New York and her contemporary crusade against the Sackler family, owners of the Oxycontin-maker Purdue Pharma. Goldin, who has herself wrestled with addiction, led the campaign to eradicate the Sackler name from many of the world’s top museums. Though the film didn’t win at the Oscars —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nan-goldin-oscars-laura-poitras-all-beauty-bloodshed-sackler-ddce3f39d8da01388bdd4fee3009cedf">something Goldin told me she was surprised to find she wanted</a>&nbsp;— it took the top prize of the Venice Film Festival.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/all-the-beauty-and-bloodshed-film-reviews-venice-festival-entertainment-travel-8b2ba7317de163a98391b272a4d62c19">In her review,</a>&nbsp;AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called the film” a “holistic portrait of an artist’s battle cry.” After debuting Sunday, March 19, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” is available to stream on HBO Max.— “Top Gun: Maverick” did come away with an Academy Award, for best sound. But one of the biggest box office hits of the year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oscars-academy-awards-2023-0366eeec948d96f3126d0725cdec5074">otherwise struck out at the Oscars.</a>&nbsp;After an uncommonly long run in theaters, a lucrative stop on video on demand and a streaming launch on Paramount+, “Top Gun Maverick” arrives on a larger streaming platform Friday, March 24th, when it touches down on Amazon’s Prime Video.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/top-gun-maverick-film-review-dfe987ecf3250c3f0103da09b3dc76dc">In his review,</a>&nbsp;AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy called “Maverick” “a textbook example of how to make a sequel.”— This month, the Criterion Channel has been paying tribute to the greatest comic artist of the 20th century: Buster Keaton.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.criterionchannel.com/starring-buster-keaton/season:1">With five features and more than a dozen shorts,</a>&nbsp;the series is an unbeatable feast. You can’t go wrong but a few highlights: Keaton’s glorious Olympic finale in “College”; his deft ladder balancing act in “Cops”; and his escape, through a high window, from an angry police chief-slash-furious-father in “The Goat.” With apologies to Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, nobody did it better.—&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP">AP Film Writer Jake Coyle</a>MUSIC— Fans of Lana Del Rey got two albums in 2021 — “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” and Blue Banisters” but nothing full-length in 2022. Now she’s got “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” set to drop Friday. One of the singles,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYqky795R1s">”A&amp;W,”</a>&nbsp;offers a glimpse at the sing-songwriter’s bleak poetry: “Puts the shower on while he calls me/Slips out the back door to talk to me/I’m invisible, look how you hold me/I’m a ghost now.” The album features Jack Antonoff, Father John Misty, Jon Batiste and more.— Back in 1984, Phil Collins and Philip Bailey had a hit with the song&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkRKT6T0QLg">“Easy Lover.”</a>&nbsp;These days, UK pop star Ellie Goulding and Big Sean&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDht4fSRLgk">have a song with the same title</a>&nbsp;that’s just as infectiously fun, part of Goulding’s 11-track album “Higher Than Heaven.” The songs marry her ethereal voice to strong dance hooks, from the ’80s-inspired “By the End of the Night” and “Just 4 You” to the modern pop of “Cure for Love.”— Do you have what it takes to be a country music’s next big star? Then tune into Apple TV+’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-rsqQJ2pXs">“My Kind of Country,”</a>&nbsp;in which Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and Orville Peck search for talented amateur artists and invite them to Nashville, Tennessee, for a showcase. Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves also are featured in the series, set to premiere globally on Friday.— 6lack is 6ack! The Atlanta singer-songwriter and rapper known as 6lack — pronounced “black” — returns with “Since I Have a Lover,” his first album in nearly five years.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVgmYNA8J1k">The title track</a>&nbsp;is a airy, sweet ode to love with the lyrics: “Feel like a million bucks or somethin’/ Feel like we need to be up to somethin’/ Not tryna press my luck or nothin’/Don’t wanna love you just for fun.” The artist, raised in Zone 6 of Atlanta, has been doing a lot of collaborations since his last album, including Lil Tjay’s “Calling My Phone” and more recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_75_2fWFhY">Jessie Reyez’s “Forever.”</a>—&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/kennedytwits?lang=en">AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy</a>TELEVISION— Fans of shows including “Jack Ryan” and “The Recruit,” about low-level government agency workers who get pulled into danger and secret missions, should check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDbnY9Obsfs">“The Night Agent”</a>&nbsp;on Netflix. It follows an FBI agent tasked with manning an overnight emergency phone that surprisingly rings during one of his shifts. A desperate civilian is on the other end of the call and together, they find themselves embroiled in a major government conspiracy. The series stars Gabriel Russo and Luciane Buchanan and is based on the novel by Matthew Quirk. “The Night Agent” debuts Thursday.— Mae Whitman, best-known for her roles in “Parenthood” and “Good Girls,” demonstrates she can also sing in her new rom-com series&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crhL1eOjf4U">“Up Here”</a>&nbsp;for Hulu. Set in 1999 in New York, Whitman plays Lindsay who falls for Miguel — played by Carlos Valdes (“The Flash” and “Gaslit”) — and the will-they, won’t-they find a happily ever after ensues. The series boasts some major behind-the-scenes musical talent. EGOT winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, behind that little animated film that could “Frozen,” are co-executive producers and wrote the show’s original music. The show has a whimsical, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”-vibe, plus there are fun late-'90s references including Y2K. All eight-episodes drop Friday, the same day the soundtrack lands.— Kiefer Sutherland is back with another high-stakes TV drama in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfbdNfdmQAY">“Rabbit Hole”</a>&nbsp;for Paramount+. He plays John Weir, a corporate spy skilled in the art of deception – until he finds the rug pulled out from underneath him and he is framed for murder. Weir goes from having total control to none, and unsure of who can be trusted. “Rabbit Hole” premieres with two episodes on Sunday.— Alicia RancilioVIDEO GAMES— Annapurna Interactive has developed a nearly impeccable reputation among connoisseurs of indie video games, from 2017’s groundbreaking mystery What Remains of Edith Finch to 2022’s futuristic cat sim Stray. The publisher’s latest release is&nbsp;<a href="https://annapurnainteractive.com/en/games/storyteller">Storyteller</a>, a long-brewing project from Argentine designer Daniel Benmergui. The premise is simple: You have a library of characters, objects, events and other plot devices, and your job is arrange them to tell a particular type of tale. It’s a puzzle game that pays homage to classic literature, and the graphics ooze charm. Start spinning your own yarns Thursday on Nintendo Switch and PC.— Death, the CEO of Death Inc., is burned out. His top minions — the executives in charge of Natural Disasters, Modern Warfare, Toxic Food-Processing and other misery-producing departments — are going about their business way too enthusiastically, and Death needs them to settle down before he drowns in paperwork. In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haveanicedeath.com/en">Have a Nice Death</a>, from France’s Magic Design Studios, you wield Death’s scythe as he hacks and slashes his way through the red tape. The vibrant, angular 2D graphics are reminiscent of the classic Rayman, which some members of Magic Design’s team worked on. The not-so-grim reaping comes to Nintendo Switch and PC on Wednesday.—&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/lkesten">Lou Kesten</a>

New this week: 'Top Gun,' Lana Del Rey and 'Rabbit Hole'

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22ASHRAF%20KHALIL%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — Adam Sandler placed his hand on the bronze bust of Mark Twain and speculated that it “one day might be the weapon used to bludgeon me in my sleep."

A host of comedic and entertainment royalty gathered at Washington’s Kennedy Center as Sandler was presented with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/marktwain/">Mark Twain Prize for American Humor</a>.

Presenters including Drew Barrymore, Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Buscemi, Dana Carvey, and Luis Guzmán gave testimonials to Sandler's creative longevity, while poking occasional fun at his uneven movie output and tendency to cast all his friends in his movies.

Sandler's longtime writing and production partner Tim Herlihy joked that the pair were responsible for “31 motion pictures with a combined Rotten Tomatoes score of 59.”

Buscemi, known largely for dramatic and often violent roles, portrayed a string of comedic characters in Sandler movies.

“He takes his comedy very seriously. I laugh hard at everything I do with him,” he said.

Buscemi also singled out Sandler's musical comedy, including “The Chanukah Song," which became a multiplatinum hit. “His comedy songs alone deserve this reward,” he said.

Judd Apatow, Sandler's roommate during their early days in Los Angeles, recalled a young Sandler's boundless confidence and obvious talent.

“The moment you met him, you knew Adam was going to be a big star,” Apatow said. “And so did Adam.”

To highlight Sandler's seemingly limitless comedic energy, Apatow played an old video he recorded of a young Sandler prank-calling a local deli in his spare time to try out different comedic voices.

At the end of the night, Sandler, who's from Manchester, New Hampshire, paid tribute to his parents and siblings for arming him with “that weird irrational confidence thing that I guess I still have.”

Sandler, 56, first came to national attention as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live.” After being fired from the cast following a five-year stint, Sandler launched a wildly successful movie career that has spanned more than 30 films, grossing over $3 billion worldwide.

Sandler's top hits include “Happy Gilmore,” “The Wedding Singer” and “You Don't Mess with the Zohan.” Although primarily known for slapstick comedy and overgrown man-child characters, he has excelled in multiple dramatic roles in films such as "Punch Drunk Love" and “Uncut Gems.”

Guzman, who co-starred in “Punch Drunk Love,” admitted he originally thought Sandler was “out of his depth” in a dramatic role scripted by auteur director Paul Thomas Anderson. But he came away impressed and praised Sandler's “total commitment to something that was so far our of his element.”

Other comedians who received the lifetime achievement award include inaugural honoree Richard Pryor in 1998, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett and Dave Chapelle. Bill Cosby, the 2009 recipient, saw his Mark Twain Prize rescinded in 2019 amid multiple allegations of sexual assault.

The comedy institution "SNL" has provided more than its share of the 24 Mark Twain recipients. Sandler is the seventh cast member to receive the prize, joining Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Show creator and producer Lorne Michaels won in 2004.

The ceremony will be broadcast nationally on CNN on March 26.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22ASHRAF%20KHALIL%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — Adam Sandler placed his hand on the bronze bust of Mark Twain and speculated that it “one day might be the weapon used to bludgeon me in my sleep."A host of comedic and entertainment royalty gathered at Washington’s Kennedy Center as Sandler was presented with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/marktwain/">Mark Twain Prize for American Humor</a>.Presenters including Drew Barrymore, Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Buscemi, Dana Carvey, and Luis Guzmán gave testimonials to Sandler's creative longevity, while poking occasional fun at his uneven movie output and tendency to cast all his friends in his movies.Sandler's longtime writing and production partner Tim Herlihy joked that the pair were responsible for “31 motion pictures with a combined Rotten Tomatoes score of 59.”Buscemi, known largely for dramatic and often violent roles, portrayed a string of comedic characters in Sandler movies.“He takes his comedy very seriously. I laugh hard at everything I do with him,” he said.Buscemi also singled out Sandler's musical comedy, including “The Chanukah Song," which became a multiplatinum hit. “His comedy songs alone deserve this reward,” he said.Judd Apatow, Sandler's roommate during their early days in Los Angeles, recalled a young Sandler's boundless confidence and obvious talent.“The moment you met him, you knew Adam was going to be a big star,” Apatow said. “And so did Adam.”To highlight Sandler's seemingly limitless comedic energy, Apatow played an old video he recorded of a young Sandler prank-calling a local deli in his spare time to try out different comedic voices.At the end of the night, Sandler, who's from Manchester, New Hampshire, paid tribute to his parents and siblings for arming him with “that weird irrational confidence thing that I guess I still have.”Sandler, 56, first came to national attention as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live.” After being fired from the cast following a five-year stint, Sandler launched a wildly successful movie career that has spanned more than 30 films, grossing over $3 billion worldwide.Sandler's top hits include “Happy Gilmore,” “The Wedding Singer” and “You Don't Mess with the Zohan.” Although primarily known for slapstick comedy and overgrown man-child characters, he has excelled in multiple dramatic roles in films such as "Punch Drunk Love" and “Uncut Gems.”Guzman, who co-starred in “Punch Drunk Love,” admitted he originally thought Sandler was “out of his depth” in a dramatic role scripted by auteur director Paul Thomas Anderson. But he came away impressed and praised Sandler's “total commitment to something that was so far our of his element.”Other comedians who received the lifetime achievement award include inaugural honoree Richard Pryor in 1998, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett and Dave Chapelle. Bill Cosby, the 2009 recipient, saw his Mark Twain Prize rescinded in 2019 amid multiple allegations of sexual assault.The comedy institution "SNL" has provided more than its share of the 24 Mark Twain recipients. Sandler is the seventh cast member to receive the prize, joining Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Show creator and producer Lorne Michaels won in 2004.The ceremony will be broadcast nationally on CNN on March 26.

Adam Sandler gets Mark Twain prize surrounded by celeb pals

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'Winnie the Pooh' film pulled from Hong Kong cinemas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taylor Swift kicks off US Eras Tour at Super Bowl stadium

LAS VEGAS (AP) — <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">March Madness</a>
 isn't just about filling out — and later trashing — brackets. There are
 more ways to bet the field in the NCAA Tournament, an event that will 
consume basketball fans over the next three weeks. Here's a look at the 
favorites, underdogs and long shots.

Earlier
 this week, top-seeded Houston was the plus-135 favorite to emerge as 
the Midwest Region representative and play in Houston, according to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/ncaab?tab=march-madness">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>. That means a $100 bet pays $135. The next top team in the region is No. 5 Texas at plus-350.

Alabama, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-2023-e8fe1bfd7964f938781458952670f51a">the No. 1 overall seed</a>, was plus-150 to come out of the South.

The
 most competitive region appears to be the West. Top seed Kansas opened 
as a slight favorite but later shared that spot with 2-seed UCLA at 
plus-330 (before the Jayhawks were ousted). No. 3 seed Gonzaga wasn't 
far behind at plus-400.

Top seed Purdue was at plus-300 to come out of the East, but the Boilermakers lost in the first round.

After
 a batch of upsets, the favorites heading into the Sweet 16 are (in 
order, as of March 19): Alabama, Houston, UConn, UCLA, Gonzaga and 
Texas, according to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/ncaab?tab=national-champion">FanDuel Sportsbook.</a>

If you were looking for the next Saint Peter's or Loyola-Chicago, check out these options.

Nineteen
 teams were listed at plus-50,000: Arizona State, Charleston, Colgate, 
Furman, Grand Canyon, Howard, Iona, Kennesaw State, Kent State, 
Louisiana-Lafayette, Montana State, Nevada, Northern Kentucky, Oral 
Roberts, Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi, Texas Southern, UC Santa Barbara,
 UNC Asheville and Vermont. Furman did advance to the second round with a
 big win over 4th-seeded Virginia but that was it. Princeton, anyone?

Alabama
 was a 23 1/2-point favorite over Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi. Kansas 
was favored by 22 1/2-over Howard in their first-round matchup — the 
same spread <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-fairleigh-dickinson-purdue-16-seed-715e3e361344928ea10880dd9a9d8a58">Fairleigh Dickinson faced against Purdue before its shocking 63-58 win.</a>

The
 old saying is that life is too short to bet the under, but it's often 
the wise play. Some of these totals may give bettors second thoughts 
before taking the over, but that doesn't mean it's the wrong move.

The
 highest totals heading into the tourney were Gonzaga-Grand Canyon, 
Missouri-Utah State and Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi-Southeast Missouri 
State at 155 1/2 each, Xavier-Kennesaw State at 153 1/2, Auburn-Iowa at 
151 1/2 and Florida Atlantic-Memphis and Colgate-Texas at 150 1/2 each.

Just
 because the committee seeds one team over another doesn't necessarily 
mean it's the better team in the minds of the oddsmakers. Games where 
the lower seed was the favorite on the early line: Tenth-seeded Utah 
State by 1 1/2 points over seventh-seeded Missouri (Missouri won), 
ninth-seeded West Virginia by 2 1/2 over eighth-seeded Maryland 
(Maryland won) and ninth-seeded Auburn by 1 1/2 over eighth-seeded Iowa 
(Auburn won 83-75).

Circa Sports in Las Vegas likes 
the chances of the 5-12 opening-round upset trend continuing, posting 
the odds of a No. 12 seed winning at minus-510. Odds also are in the 
favor of a No. 13 beating a four-seed at minus-250.

A victory by a
 No. 14 (plus-110), No. 15 (plus-195) and No. 16 (plus-745) aren't as 
likely but that's March Madness: A 15 and a 16 won in the first round, 
after all.

The Big 12 had the highest total for number of tournament wins by a conference at 11.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-brackets-ncaa-arizona-virginia-princeton-furman-e05e2095ceedec75d99c5c5ae0c037fe">The chase for the perfect bracket in office pools and everywhere else ended before the second round</a>
 this year. Wins by the likes of 15-seed Princeton, 13-seed Furman and 
16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson's near-historic win over No. 1 seed Purdue 
left the number of perfect brackets at 0 late Friday in the major 
contests run by ESPN, CBS Sports, the NCAA and others.

Associated PressLAS VEGAS (AP) — <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">March Madness</a>
 isn't just about filling out — and later trashing — brackets. There are
 more ways to bet the field in the NCAA Tournament, an event that will 
consume basketball fans over the next three weeks. Here's a look at the 
favorites, underdogs and long shots.WHO’S FAVORED TO REACH THE FINAL FOUR?Earlier
 this week, top-seeded Houston was the plus-135 favorite to emerge as 
the Midwest Region representative and play in Houston, according to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/ncaab?tab=march-madness">FanDuel Sportsbook</a>. That means a $100 bet pays $135. The next top team in the region is No. 5 Texas at plus-350.Alabama, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-2023-e8fe1bfd7964f938781458952670f51a">the No. 1 overall seed</a>, was plus-150 to come out of the South.The
 most competitive region appears to be the West. Top seed Kansas opened 
as a slight favorite but later shared that spot with 2-seed UCLA at 
plus-330 (before the Jayhawks were ousted). No. 3 seed Gonzaga wasn't 
far behind at plus-400.Top seed Purdue was at plus-300 to come out of the East, but the Boilermakers lost in the first round.WHO’S FAVORED TO WIN THE TITLE?After
 a batch of upsets, the favorites heading into the Sweet 16 are (in 
order, as of March 19): Alabama, Houston, UConn, UCLA, Gonzaga and 
Texas, according to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/ncaab?tab=national-champion">FanDuel Sportsbook.</a>WHO IS THE BIGGEST UNDERDOG?If you were looking for the next Saint Peter's or Loyola-Chicago, check out these options.Nineteen
 teams were listed at plus-50,000: Arizona State, Charleston, Colgate, 
Furman, Grand Canyon, Howard, Iona, Kennesaw State, Kent State, 
Louisiana-Lafayette, Montana State, Nevada, Northern Kentucky, Oral 
Roberts, Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi, Texas Southern, UC Santa Barbara,
 UNC Asheville and Vermont. Furman did advance to the second round with a
 big win over 4th-seeded Virginia but that was it. Princeton, anyone?WHAT’S THE BIGGEST SPREAD DIFFERENCE?Alabama
 was a 23 1/2-point favorite over Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi. Kansas 
was favored by 22 1/2-over Howard in their first-round matchup — the 
same spread <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-fairleigh-dickinson-purdue-16-seed-715e3e361344928ea10880dd9a9d8a58">Fairleigh Dickinson faced against Purdue before its shocking 63-58 win.</a>WHAT’S THE BIGGEST OVER/UNDER?The
 old saying is that life is too short to bet the under, but it's often 
the wise play. Some of these totals may give bettors second thoughts 
before taking the over, but that doesn't mean it's the wrong move.The
 highest totals heading into the tourney were Gonzaga-Grand Canyon, 
Missouri-Utah State and Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi-Southeast Missouri 
State at 155 1/2 each, Xavier-Kennesaw State at 153 1/2, Auburn-Iowa at 
151 1/2 and Florida Atlantic-Memphis and Colgate-Texas at 150 1/2 each.NOT REAL UNDERDOGSJust
 because the committee seeds one team over another doesn't necessarily 
mean it's the better team in the minds of the oddsmakers. Games where 
the lower seed was the favorite on the early line: Tenth-seeded Utah 
State by 1 1/2 points over seventh-seeded Missouri (Missouri won), 
ninth-seeded West Virginia by 2 1/2 over eighth-seeded Maryland 
(Maryland won) and ninth-seeded Auburn by 1 1/2 over eighth-seeded Iowa 
(Auburn won 83-75).PROPSCirca Sports in Las Vegas likes 
the chances of the 5-12 opening-round upset trend continuing, posting 
the odds of a No. 12 seed winning at minus-510. Odds also are in the 
favor of a No. 13 beating a four-seed at minus-250.A victory by a
 No. 14 (plus-110), No. 15 (plus-195) and No. 16 (plus-745) aren't as 
likely but that's March Madness: A 15 and a 16 won in the first round, 
after all.The Big 12 had the highest total for number of tournament wins by a conference at 11.BRACKETS<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-brackets-ncaa-arizona-virginia-princeton-furman-e05e2095ceedec75d99c5c5ae0c037fe">The chase for the perfect bracket in office pools and everywhere else ended before the second round</a>
 this year. Wins by the likes of 15-seed Princeton, 13-seed Furman and 
16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson's near-historic win over No. 1 seed Purdue 
left the number of perfect brackets at 0 late Friday in the major 
contests run by ESPN, CBS Sports, the NCAA and others.

March Madness betting guide: Upsets shuffle favorites' odds

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with&nbsp;Brian Lang and Shelly Macumber from the Triple 8 Equine Center in Hays.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dOoEdjJVGNw" 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&nbsp;Brian Lang and Shelly Macumber from the Triple 8 Equine Center in Hays.

🎤 Forward Ever: Triple 8 Equine Center's Brian Lang and Shelly Macumber

Josh Turner.&nbsp;Photo courtesy Stiefel Theatre

Josh Turner is coming to Salina's Stiefel Theatre in July.

Turner is scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. July 29 in the Stiefel Theatre, 151 S. Santa Fe Avenue.

Tickets start at $49 and go on sale at noon on Friday. Buy online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stiefeltheatre.org/">www.stiefeltheatre.org</a>.

About Josh Turner courtesy the Stiefel Theatre

With his deep bass voice, Turner has sold more than 6.5 million records, reached 4.8 billion global streams, and has become a favorite and unforgettable hitmaker on country radio.

With timeless songs like&nbsp;Long Black Train&nbsp; and&nbsp;Why Don’t We Just Dance, Turner’s five No. 1 singles include&nbsp;Your Man, of which the official music video surpassed 100 million views. Turner released&nbsp;Your Man Deluxe Edition, celebrating 15 years of Turner’s iconic double Platinum-selling album, as well as the mini-documentary&nbsp;Josh Turner Your Man 15th Anniversary&nbsp;(Mini Doc).

The Double-Platinum-selling&nbsp;Would You Go With Me, featured on&nbsp;Your Man Deluxe Edition, experienced a viral surge across TikTok leading to a jump in streaming which landed the classic country tune on Spotify’s US Viral 50 along with Spotify Viral charts in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. The song continues to be a fan favorite, currently posting more than a million streams per week and 1.5 million global streams weekly.

A native of South Carolina, Turner has been nominated for three GMA Dove awards and won his first GMA Dove Award in 2021 for&nbsp;I Saw The Light featuring Sonya Isaacs, off his&nbsp;I Serve a Savior&nbsp;album. Turner has received six Inspirational Country Music Awards and has been nominated for two GRAMMY Awards, five CMA Awards, two ACM Awards, one CMT Award, and seven ACA Awards.

Turner released his first Christmas album,&nbsp;King Size Manger, in 2021 and accompanying vinyl and DVD in 2022. To support music and arts education, he created The Josh Turner Scholarship Fund For The Arts to help students pursue their studies in these fields.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678982039906.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Josh Turner.&nbsp;Photo courtesy Stiefel TheatreBy SALINA POSTJosh Turner is coming to Salina's Stiefel Theatre in July.Turner is scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. July 29 in the Stiefel Theatre, 151 S. Santa Fe Avenue.Tickets start at $49 and go on sale at noon on Friday. Buy online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stiefeltheatre.org/">www.stiefeltheatre.org</a>.About Josh Turner courtesy the Stiefel TheatreWith his deep bass voice, Turner has sold more than 6.5 million records, reached 4.8 billion global streams, and has become a favorite and unforgettable hitmaker on country radio.With timeless songs like&nbsp;Long Black Train&nbsp; and&nbsp;Why Don’t We Just Dance, Turner’s five No. 1 singles include&nbsp;Your Man, of which the official music video surpassed 100 million views. Turner released&nbsp;Your Man Deluxe Edition, celebrating 15 years of Turner’s iconic double Platinum-selling album, as well as the mini-documentary&nbsp;Josh Turner Your Man 15th Anniversary&nbsp;(Mini Doc).The Double-Platinum-selling&nbsp;Would You Go With Me, featured on&nbsp;Your Man Deluxe Edition, experienced a viral surge across TikTok leading to a jump in streaming which landed the classic country tune on Spotify’s US Viral 50 along with Spotify Viral charts in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. The song continues to be a fan favorite, currently posting more than a million streams per week and 1.5 million global streams weekly.A native of South Carolina, Turner has been nominated for three GMA Dove awards and won his first GMA Dove Award in 2021 for&nbsp;I Saw The Light featuring Sonya Isaacs, off his&nbsp;I Serve a Savior&nbsp;album. Turner has received six Inspirational Country Music Awards and has been nominated for two GRAMMY Awards, five CMA Awards, two ACM Awards, one CMT Award, and seven ACA Awards.Turner released his first Christmas album,&nbsp;King Size Manger, in 2021 and accompanying vinyl and DVD in 2022. To support music and arts education, he created The Josh Turner Scholarship Fund For The Arts to help students pursue their studies in these fields.

Josh Turner concert set for Salina's Stiefel Theatre

Great Bend High School senior August Siefkes

Great Bend High School senior August Siefkes competed in the IPPA Conero International Piano Festival &amp; Competition at the University of Kansas in Lawrence on March 11.

Siefkes received a gold medal and has advanced to the international round to be held in Recanati, Italy in July. There is also a virtual option for competing.&nbsp;

Siefkes pictured with her piano instructor, Dr. Alejandro Avila

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 </figure>Great Bend High School senior August SiefkesGreat Bend High School senior August Siefkes competed in the IPPA Conero International Piano Festival &amp; Competition at the University of Kansas in Lawrence on March 11.Siefkes received a gold medal and has advanced to the international round to be held in Recanati, Italy in July. There is also a virtual option for competing.&nbsp;<figure>
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Great Bend student advances to Italy's international piano competition

Imagine walking into your living room and all your stuff is there, but it's different. The sofa has moved, the bookcase is leaning on a different wall and the framed photos have swapped locations. That's the feeling you get listening to U2's new album.

“Songs of Surrender” is a “reimagining” of 40 songs from the Irish quartet's deep catalogue, cleverly presented from “One” to “40.” Think of it as a thrilling home makeover.

“I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside,” Bono sings in the new “Where the Streets Have No Name” — lyrics that perfectly fit this sonic experiment. This version of the song is virtually unrecognizable from the one the band made famous in 1987.

That's the point of this exercise led by Bono and The Edge. “Once we surrendered our reverence for the original version, each song started to open up to a new authentic voice of this time,” The Edge writes in the liner notes.

There are triumphs and a few fumbles, but there's a growing realization that the architecture of these songs is strong indeed, even with some new lyrics. The new “Vertigo” has Middle Eastern instrumentations, while an acoustic guitar-driven “Sunday Bloody Sunday” sounds more like something from a coffeehouse open-mic night than a strident arena-ready demand. But they're both still gorgeous.

Some might even be improvements. One of the band's earliest hits — “11 O'Clock Tick Tock” — is smoother, slower and cleaner than the original. And would you believe the new “The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)” might be better than the one on “Songs of Innocence”?

Many reworkings are relatively straight-forward, like “Cedarwood Road,” “Peace on Earth,” “Bad” and “I Will Follow.” Most have a stripped-down feel, which gives Bono's voice little shelter amid moody keyboards or choppy acoustic guitar. “Every Breaking Wave” is cinematic, like something that should run over the end credits when an anguished drama has faded to black.

“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” gets a cowboy vibe and unexpected honky-tonky electricity. “Desire” has Bono high in his falsetto against a strummy dulcimer and the effect is hypnotic.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>“Songs of Surrender,” U2 (Universal)Imagine walking into your living room and all your stuff is there, but it's different. The sofa has moved, the bookcase is leaning on a different wall and the framed photos have swapped locations. That's the feeling you get listening to U2's new album.“Songs of Surrender” is a “reimagining” of 40 songs from the Irish quartet's deep catalogue, cleverly presented from “One” to “40.” Think of it as a thrilling home makeover.“I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside,” Bono sings in the new “Where the Streets Have No Name” — lyrics that perfectly fit this sonic experiment. This version of the song is virtually unrecognizable from the one the band made famous in 1987.That's the point of this exercise led by Bono and The Edge. “Once we surrendered our reverence for the original version, each song started to open up to a new authentic voice of this time,” The Edge writes in the liner notes.There are triumphs and a few fumbles, but there's a growing realization that the architecture of these songs is strong indeed, even with some new lyrics. The new “Vertigo” has Middle Eastern instrumentations, while an acoustic guitar-driven “Sunday Bloody Sunday” sounds more like something from a coffeehouse open-mic night than a strident arena-ready demand. But they're both still gorgeous.Some might even be improvements. One of the band's earliest hits — “11 O'Clock Tick Tock” — is smoother, slower and cleaner than the original. And would you believe the new “The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)” might be better than the one on “Songs of Innocence”?Many reworkings are relatively straight-forward, like “Cedarwood Road,” “Peace on Earth,” “Bad” and “I Will Follow.” Most have a stripped-down feel, which gives Bono's voice little shelter amid moody keyboards or choppy acoustic guitar. “Every Breaking Wave” is cinematic, like something that should run over the end credits when an anguished drama has faded to black.“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” gets a cowboy vibe and unexpected honky-tonky electricity. “Desire” has Bono high in his falsetto against a strummy dulcimer and the effect is hypnotic.“Get Out of Your Own Way” is remade as a Mumford &amp; Sons tune, in a good way, and the new “Stuck in a Moment” is a folkish prayer, the structure holding. The new “One” is a little marred by a choir effect, but it is such a beautiful song that it could be remade as a punk tune and it would still sparkle.Listening to the new “Sometime You Can't Make It On Your Own” is like running into an ex who is barely recognizable. The reworked “With or Without You” has an air of antiseptic menace.One effect of the album is to put Bono's lyrics under a spotlight, making his words and imagery more pronounced. The new “Ordinary Love” emerges like a tone poem, the new “Invisible” reveals deeper pain than originally sang.Some don't work, as when the grimness of “Red Hill Mining Town” is undercut by horns, effectively remaking it into a defanged children's song. The new “Beautiful Day” is not an improvement over the original; it has been made lounge-y and meandering, despite some nifty new lyrics.In a new “Pride (In the Name of Love),” Bono's voice has been harnessed and tamed, losing the original's stridency and anger. And the new “40” — with Bono appropriately arguing “I will sing a new song” — has been made limp and passive.If you're not a U2 fan, this collection will not convince you to embrace them. If you are a mega-fan, you will marvel at their mutability. And if you are a casual fan, you must admire a band willing to get in its own way.