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

NEW YORK (AP) — Attempted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">book bans and restrictions</a>&nbsp;at school and public libraries continue to surge, setting a record in 2022, according to a new report from the American Library Association being released Thursday.

More than 1,200 challenges were compiled by the association in 2022, nearly double the then-record total from 2021 and by far the most since the ALA began keeping data 20 years ago.

“I've never seen anything like this,” says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, who directs the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom. “The last two years have been exhausting, frightening, outrage inducing.”

Thursday's report not only documents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">the growing number of challenges</a>, but also their changing nature. A few years ago, complaints usually arose with parents and other community members and referred to an individual book. Now, the requests are often for multiple removals, and organized by national groups such as the conservative Moms for Liberty, which has a mission of “unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.”

Last year, more than 2,500 different books were objected to, compared to 1,858 in 2021 and just 566 in 2019. In numerous cases, hundreds of books were challenged in a single complaint. The ALA bases its findings on media accounts and voluntary reporting from libraries and acknowledges that the numbers might be far higher.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">Librarians around the country</a>&nbsp;have told of being harassed and threatened with violence or legal action.

“Every day professional librarians sit down with parents to thoughtfully determine what reading material is best suited for their child’s needs," ALA President Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada said in a statement. “Now, many library workers face threats to their employment, their personal safety, and in some cases, threats of prosecution for providing books to youth they and their parents want to read.”

Caldwell-Stone says that some books have been targeted by liberals because of racist language — notably Mark Twain's “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” — but the vast majority of complaints come from conservatives, directed at works with LGBTIQA+ or racial themes. They include Maia Kobabe's “Gender Queer,” Jonathan Evison's “Lawn Boy," Angie Thomas' “The Hate U Give” and a book-length edition of the “1619 Project,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning report from The New York Times on the legacy of slavery in the U.S.

Bills facilitating the restriction of books have been proposed or passed in Arizona, Iowa, Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma, among other states. In Florida, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-florida-ron-desantis-school-boards-libraries-da50c9c4091868e121484425d290385b">Gov. Ron DeSantis has approved laws</a>&nbsp;to review reading materials and limit classroom discussion of gender identity and race books pulled indefinitely or temporarily include John Green's “Looking for Alaska,” Colleen Hoover's “Hopeless,” Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel “The Handmaid's Tale” and Grace Lin's picture story “Dim Sum for Everyone!”

More recently, Florida's Martin County school district removed dozens of books from its middle schools and high schools, including numerous works by novelist Jodi Picoult, Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning “Beloved” and James Patterson's “Maximum Ride” thrillers, a decision which the bestselling author has criticized on Twitter as “arbitrary and borderline absurd.”

DeSantis has called reports of mass bannings a “hoax," saying in a statement released earlier this month that the allegations reveal “some are attempting to use our schools for indoctrination.”

Some books do come back. Officials at Florida's Duval County Public Schools were widely criticized after they removed “Roberto Clemente: The Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates,” a children's biography of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-los-angeles-dodgers-tampa-bay-rays-pittsburgh-pirates-4f05e3aee406b2c0c4a8b8717db7b770">the late Puerto Rican baseball star</a>. In February, they announced the book would again be on shelves, explaining that they needed to review it and make sure it didn't violate any state laws.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HILLEL%20ITALIE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Attempted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">book bans and restrictions</a>&nbsp;at school and public libraries continue to surge, setting a record in 2022, according to a new report from the American Library Association being released Thursday.More than 1,200 challenges were compiled by the association in 2022, nearly double the then-record total from 2021 and by far the most since the ALA began keeping data 20 years ago.“I've never seen anything like this,” says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, who directs the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom. “The last two years have been exhausting, frightening, outrage inducing.”Thursday's report not only documents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">the growing number of challenges</a>, but also their changing nature. A few years ago, complaints usually arose with parents and other community members and referred to an individual book. Now, the requests are often for multiple removals, and organized by national groups such as the conservative Moms for Liberty, which has a mission of “unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.”Last year, more than 2,500 different books were objected to, compared to 1,858 in 2021 and just 566 in 2019. In numerous cases, hundreds of books were challenged in a single complaint. The ALA bases its findings on media accounts and voluntary reporting from libraries and acknowledges that the numbers might be far higher.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">Librarians around the country</a>&nbsp;have told of being harassed and threatened with violence or legal action.“Every day professional librarians sit down with parents to thoughtfully determine what reading material is best suited for their child’s needs," ALA President Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada said in a statement. “Now, many library workers face threats to their employment, their personal safety, and in some cases, threats of prosecution for providing books to youth they and their parents want to read.”Caldwell-Stone says that some books have been targeted by liberals because of racist language — notably Mark Twain's “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” — but the vast majority of complaints come from conservatives, directed at works with LGBTIQA+ or racial themes. They include Maia Kobabe's “Gender Queer,” Jonathan Evison's “Lawn Boy," Angie Thomas' “The Hate U Give” and a book-length edition of the “1619 Project,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning report from The New York Times on the legacy of slavery in the U.S.Bills facilitating the restriction of books have been proposed or passed in Arizona, Iowa, Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma, among other states. In Florida, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-florida-ron-desantis-school-boards-libraries-da50c9c4091868e121484425d290385b">Gov. Ron DeSantis has approved laws</a>&nbsp;to review reading materials and limit classroom discussion of gender identity and race books pulled indefinitely or temporarily include John Green's “Looking for Alaska,” Colleen Hoover's “Hopeless,” Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel “The Handmaid's Tale” and Grace Lin's picture story “Dim Sum for Everyone!”More recently, Florida's Martin County school district removed dozens of books from its middle schools and high schools, including numerous works by novelist Jodi Picoult, Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning “Beloved” and James Patterson's “Maximum Ride” thrillers, a decision which the bestselling author has criticized on Twitter as “arbitrary and borderline absurd.”DeSantis has called reports of mass bannings a “hoax," saying in a statement released earlier this month that the allegations reveal “some are attempting to use our schools for indoctrination.”Some books do come back. Officials at Florida's Duval County Public Schools were widely criticized after they removed “Roberto Clemente: The Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates,” a children's biography of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-los-angeles-dodgers-tampa-bay-rays-pittsburgh-pirates-4f05e3aee406b2c0c4a8b8717db7b770">the late Puerto Rican baseball star</a>. In February, they announced the book would again be on shelves, explaining that they needed to review it and make sure it didn't violate any state laws.

Library association reports record book ban attempts in 2022

On this episode of the Post Podcast, Eagle Radio's Amy B. checks in with Chris Thompson of the Eli Young Band, set to perform in Hays on March 30 at the Fox Theater.

<div><iframe title="Eli Young Band to perform in Hays March 30" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=sek4d-13c36c0-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of the Post Podcast, Eagle Radio's Amy B. checks in with Chris Thompson of the Eli Young Band, set to perform in Hays on March 30 at the Fox Theater.

🎙 Post Podcast: Eli Young Band to perform in Hays March 30

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

A trip to Paris should be on everyone’s bucket list, even John Wick. The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre — what better way to refresh your soul, even as you kick everyone else’s bucket?

The un-retired assassin does indeed dive into the City of Lights in the inventive and thrilling&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSia8TAMJAg">“John Wick: Chapter 4”</a>&nbsp;a sequel which elevates and expands the franchise. The fourth installment is more stylish, more elegant and more bonkers — kind of like Paris itself.

When we last saw Wick, he was half dead in the gutter after being shot and tumbling several stories off the Hotel Continental in New York. He was on the blacklist with a $14 million price on his head. (Inflation has even hit this franchise: The bounty swells to $40 million by the end of part four.)

Wick, as always played with monosyllabic and brooding intensity by Keanu Reeves, leaves his customary trail of death, but there’s a shift here. So often the prey in the previous movies, Wick is on the offense in the fourth, taking his demands directly to The High Table, the group of shadowy crime lords that keep order.

This time, the Table’s sadistic frontman is a dandy called the Marquis, played with coiled menace by Bill Skarsgård, who spouts things like: “Second chances are the refuge of men who fail.” But he’s a secret coward, so feel free to boo loudly.

The nine-fingered Wick wants to end his nightmare, naturally, by killing everyone. His too-cool frenemy, Ian McShane’s Winston, challenges him to think differently: “Have you learned nothing?” he asks the man who, to be honest, he shot in the last movie. “You’ll run out of bullets before they run out of heads.”

Returning writer Shay Hatten, along with co-writer Michael Finch, have come up with a possible solution for Wick: Win an old-fashioned duel with the Marquis. Win and be free, lose and be buried.

Not so fast, of course. Along the way, Wick must somehow handle the blind martial arts master Caine, played by Donnie Yen, bringing humor and verve to a fighter who is tasked with either slaying his one-time friend or have his daughter killed.

There’s also Killa, a jumbo-sized card shark played by martial arts star Scott Adkins, and The Tracker, a very talented bounty hunter played by Shamier Anderson. Don’t forget a swarm of Paris-based amateur bounty-hunters and armored ninjas who seem as plentiful as the city’s baguettes.

All the touches you expect from a Wick flick are here — a cool dog, hand-to-hand combat amid glass display cases, candles and Christian iconography, galloping horses, the screech of metal swords and a new way to hurt someone, in this case, a single playing card. We visit Germany, Japan and end in France, even going to a disused subway platform.

Returning director Chad Stahelski loves combining neon with gloom and now has the budget to rent out space in the Louvre. Of the 14 action sequences — yes, 14 — a few are truly mind-blowing, like a fight in the middle of the traffic circle around the Arc de Triomphe and a drone capturing a complicated set piece in a building involving what is being called a dragon’s breath shotgun. Repeating that last bit: dragon’s breath shotgun.

If there was a bit of a slog through would-be assassins in “John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum” — you know, shoot, stab, repeat — there is none here. One sequence on a set of outdoor stairs in Paris is almost riotously funny as knives and guns blast away, while the filmmakers add water and fire to a nightclub rave scene that puts clueless dancers next to axe-throwing murderers.

A shout-out to costume designer Paco Delgado, who has outfitted the baddie gunmen in light-colored three-piece suits and combat boots, and the executive baddies in fitted elegance with extravagant cravat-style ties. One of the film’s saddest parts is saying goodbye to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lance-reddick-dies-f088c69b89de428bef8240f8aaa3c20e">Lance Reddick,</a>&nbsp;who played Continental Hotel concierge Charon and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lance-reddick-john-wick-4-tributes-ff6cd68e124bd84892862c691d043fe2">died on the eve of the movie’s debut.</a>

How does this all end? Actually, on something of a deflating note. Earlier in the film, Wick’s Japan-based friend Shimazu — played awesomely by Hiroyuki Sanada — had asked a question that eternally hangs over this franchise: “Have you given any thought to how this ends?”

This chapter ends in death, of course. But that’s also how it lives.

“John Wick: Chapter 4,” a Lionsgate release that hits theaters Friday, is rated R for “pervasive strong violence and some language.” Running time: 169 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four. ___ MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. ___ Online:&nbsp;<a href="https://johnwick.movie/">https://johnwick.movie</a>

<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 </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">AP Entertainment Writer</a>A trip to Paris should be on everyone’s bucket list, even John Wick. The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre — what better way to refresh your soul, even as you kick everyone else’s bucket?The un-retired assassin does indeed dive into the City of Lights in the inventive and thrilling&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSia8TAMJAg">“John Wick: Chapter 4”</a>&nbsp;a sequel which elevates and expands the franchise. The fourth installment is more stylish, more elegant and more bonkers — kind of like Paris itself.When we last saw Wick, he was half dead in the gutter after being shot and tumbling several stories off the Hotel Continental in New York. He was on the blacklist with a $14 million price on his head. (Inflation has even hit this franchise: The bounty swells to $40 million by the end of part four.)Wick, as always played with monosyllabic and brooding intensity by Keanu Reeves, leaves his customary trail of death, but there’s a shift here. So often the prey in the previous movies, Wick is on the offense in the fourth, taking his demands directly to The High Table, the group of shadowy crime lords that keep order.This time, the Table’s sadistic frontman is a dandy called the Marquis, played with coiled menace by Bill Skarsgård, who spouts things like: “Second chances are the refuge of men who fail.” But he’s a secret coward, so feel free to boo loudly.The nine-fingered Wick wants to end his nightmare, naturally, by killing everyone. His too-cool frenemy, Ian McShane’s Winston, challenges him to think differently: “Have you learned nothing?” he asks the man who, to be honest, he shot in the last movie. “You’ll run out of bullets before they run out of heads.”Returning writer Shay Hatten, along with co-writer Michael Finch, have come up with a possible solution for Wick: Win an old-fashioned duel with the Marquis. Win and be free, lose and be buried.Not so fast, of course. Along the way, Wick must somehow handle the blind martial arts master Caine, played by Donnie Yen, bringing humor and verve to a fighter who is tasked with either slaying his one-time friend or have his daughter killed.There’s also Killa, a jumbo-sized card shark played by martial arts star Scott Adkins, and The Tracker, a very talented bounty hunter played by Shamier Anderson. Don’t forget a swarm of Paris-based amateur bounty-hunters and armored ninjas who seem as plentiful as the city’s baguettes.All the touches you expect from a Wick flick are here — a cool dog, hand-to-hand combat amid glass display cases, candles and Christian iconography, galloping horses, the screech of metal swords and a new way to hurt someone, in this case, a single playing card. We visit Germany, Japan and end in France, even going to a disused subway platform.Returning director Chad Stahelski loves combining neon with gloom and now has the budget to rent out space in the Louvre. Of the 14 action sequences — yes, 14 — a few are truly mind-blowing, like a fight in the middle of the traffic circle around the Arc de Triomphe and a drone capturing a complicated set piece in a building involving what is being called a dragon’s breath shotgun. Repeating that last bit: dragon’s breath shotgun.If there was a bit of a slog through would-be assassins in “John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum” — you know, shoot, stab, repeat — there is none here. One sequence on a set of outdoor stairs in Paris is almost riotously funny as knives and guns blast away, while the filmmakers add water and fire to a nightclub rave scene that puts clueless dancers next to axe-throwing murderers.A shout-out to costume designer Paco Delgado, who has outfitted the baddie gunmen in light-colored three-piece suits and combat boots, and the executive baddies in fitted elegance with extravagant cravat-style ties. One of the film’s saddest parts is saying goodbye to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lance-reddick-dies-f088c69b89de428bef8240f8aaa3c20e">Lance Reddick,</a>&nbsp;who played Continental Hotel concierge Charon and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lance-reddick-john-wick-4-tributes-ff6cd68e124bd84892862c691d043fe2">died on the eve of the movie’s debut.</a>How does this all end? Actually, on something of a deflating note. Earlier in the film, Wick’s Japan-based friend Shimazu — played awesomely by Hiroyuki Sanada — had asked a question that eternally hangs over this franchise: “Have you given any thought to how this ends?”This chapter ends in death, of course. But that’s also how it lives.“John Wick: Chapter 4,” a Lionsgate release that hits theaters Friday, is rated R for “pervasive strong violence and some language.” Running time: 169 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four. ___ MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. ___ Online:&nbsp;<a href="https://johnwick.movie/">https://johnwick.movie</a>

Review: John Wick gets even more stylish in fourth episode

A Grammy Award-winning Americana group is coming to Salina in October.

Nickel Creek is scheduled to perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Stiefel Theatre, 151 S. Santa Fe Avenue.

Tickets start at $59 and go on sale at noon Friday. Buy online at: www.stiefeltheatre.org or by calling the Stiefel at 785-827-1998. The Stiefel box office is open for phone or walk-up sales from noon-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

About the artists from the Stiefel Theatre

GRAMMY Award-winning trio, Nickel Creek — mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins and guitarist Sean Watkins — will continue their extensive headline tour through the fall with newly confirmed shows.

The tour — their first as a group since 2014 — adds to a landmark year for Nickel Creek, which will release&nbsp;Celebrants, its first new album in nine years, this Friday via Thirty Tigers. Their fifth studio album,&nbsp;Celebrants&nbsp;marks a highly anticipated return for the beloved trio and explores the inherent dynamics of human connection. Across the 18 tracks, the trio addresses love, friendship and time with lyrics both poetic and plain-spoken, as they see bridges built, crossed, burned and rebuilt. Recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A, the album was produced by longtime collaborator Eric Valentine (Queens of the Stone Age, Grace Potter, Weezer) and features Mike Elizondo on bass.

Together a sum of more than their staggering parts, Nickel Creek revolutionized bluegrass and folk in the early 2000s and ushered in a new era of what we now recognize as Americana music. In a 2020 retrospective titled&nbsp;The Year Folk Broke: How Nickel Creek Made Americana The New Indie Rock, NPR Music praised, “20 years ago this month, an album arrived that seemed to speak all these languages at once: unafraid to push the boundaries of its primary genre, and packing the musical chops to bring such an eclectic vision to life. Behind it were three musicians just barely old enough to vote.

NPR Music continued, "That makes Nickel Creek and its unofficial debut a critical point along a storied timeline, one whose innovations offer countless connections between the genre’s origins and its future. Once dubbed ‘progressive newgrassers,’ the three musicians now fit firmly within the ranks of Americana music—however nebulous, layered and diverse that realm may be. They have only themselves to thank.”

After meeting as young children and subsequently earning the respect of the bluegrass circuit for a decade, the trio signed with venerable label, Sugar Hill Records, in 2000 and quickly broke through with their Grammy-nominated, Alison Krauss-produced self-titled LP. Since that effort, the trio has released three more studio albums to date: 2002’s&nbsp;This Side, which won Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 45th Grammy Awards, 2005’s&nbsp;Why Should the Fire Die?&nbsp;and 2014’s&nbsp;A Dotted Line.

Each member of Nickel Creek has also taken part in many outside projects over the years. Thile is a 2012 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and served as the host of the American radio variety show Live from Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion) from 2016 to 2020. He has also released collaborative albums with world-renowned musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Brad Mehldau and Stuart Duncan as well as six studio albums with his Grammy-winning band, Punch Brothers.

Sean Watkins is a co-founder of Watkins Family Hour alongside Sara, who has released three albums and maintains a long-running collaborative show in Los Angeles. Sean has also released a string of solo albums, while Sara’s extracurricular projects include the aforementioned Watkins Family Hour, as well as the Grammy-winning roots trio, I’m With Her, which she co-founded alongside Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz. Sara has released four studio albums and has contributed fiddle to recordings by artists like Phoebe Bridgers, the Killers and John Mayer.

By SALINA POSTA Grammy Award-winning Americana group is coming to Salina in October.Nickel Creek is scheduled to perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Stiefel Theatre, 151 S. Santa Fe Avenue.Tickets start at $59 and go on sale at noon Friday. Buy online at: www.stiefeltheatre.org or by calling the Stiefel at 785-827-1998. The Stiefel box office is open for phone or walk-up sales from noon-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.About the artists from the Stiefel TheatreGRAMMY Award-winning trio, Nickel Creek — mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins and guitarist Sean Watkins — will continue their extensive headline tour through the fall with newly confirmed shows.The tour — their first as a group since 2014 — adds to a landmark year for Nickel Creek, which will release&nbsp;Celebrants, its first new album in nine years, this Friday via Thirty Tigers. Their fifth studio album,&nbsp;Celebrants&nbsp;marks a highly anticipated return for the beloved trio and explores the inherent dynamics of human connection. Across the 18 tracks, the trio addresses love, friendship and time with lyrics both poetic and plain-spoken, as they see bridges built, crossed, burned and rebuilt. Recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A, the album was produced by longtime collaborator Eric Valentine (Queens of the Stone Age, Grace Potter, Weezer) and features Mike Elizondo on bass.Together a sum of more than their staggering parts, Nickel Creek revolutionized bluegrass and folk in the early 2000s and ushered in a new era of what we now recognize as Americana music. In a 2020 retrospective titled&nbsp;The Year Folk Broke: How Nickel Creek Made Americana The New Indie Rock, NPR Music praised, “20 years ago this month, an album arrived that seemed to speak all these languages at once: unafraid to push the boundaries of its primary genre, and packing the musical chops to bring such an eclectic vision to life. Behind it were three musicians just barely old enough to vote.NPR Music continued, "That makes Nickel Creek and its unofficial debut a critical point along a storied timeline, one whose innovations offer countless connections between the genre’s origins and its future. Once dubbed ‘progressive newgrassers,’ the three musicians now fit firmly within the ranks of Americana music—however nebulous, layered and diverse that realm may be. They have only themselves to thank.”After meeting as young children and subsequently earning the respect of the bluegrass circuit for a decade, the trio signed with venerable label, Sugar Hill Records, in 2000 and quickly broke through with their Grammy-nominated, Alison Krauss-produced self-titled LP. Since that effort, the trio has released three more studio albums to date: 2002’s&nbsp;This Side, which won Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 45th Grammy Awards, 2005’s&nbsp;Why Should the Fire Die?&nbsp;and 2014’s&nbsp;A Dotted Line.Each member of Nickel Creek has also taken part in many outside projects over the years. Thile is a 2012 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and served as the host of the American radio variety show Live from Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion) from 2016 to 2020. He has also released collaborative albums with world-renowned musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Brad Mehldau and Stuart Duncan as well as six studio albums with his Grammy-winning band, Punch Brothers.Sean Watkins is a co-founder of Watkins Family Hour alongside Sara, who has released three albums and maintains a long-running collaborative show in Los Angeles. Sean has also released a string of solo albums, while Sara’s extracurricular projects include the aforementioned Watkins Family Hour, as well as the Grammy-winning roots trio, I’m With Her, which she co-founded alongside Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz. Sara has released four studio albums and has contributed fiddle to recordings by artists like Phoebe Bridgers, the Killers and John Mayer.

Nickel Creek to perform in Salina's Stiefel Theatre in October

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

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

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

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

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

Newsmax returns to DirecTV, inks multiyear distribution deal

Get a good start by selecting the right tree for your site.Photo courtesy KSRE

K-State horticulture expert shares tips to set you up for success

K-State Research and Extension News Service&nbsp;

MANHATTAN – If you’re planning to plant a tree in your yard this spring, there are some steps you can take to make sure your new landscape has its best chance of success.&nbsp;

Kansas State University horticulture expert Ward Upham shares the following 10 rules for planting trees:&nbsp;

Select the right tree for the site.&nbsp;

To avoid serious problems,&nbsp;<a href="http://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/recommended-plants/index.html" target="_blank">choose trees that are adapted to your location.</a>&nbsp;Consider whether the tree produces nuisance fruit or if there are disease-resistant varieties available. For example, there are a number of crabapple varieties that are resistant to apple scab and rust diseases. Also consider the mature size of a tree to be sure you have enough room. Ask a local nurseryman for suggestions for trees adapted to your area.&nbsp;

Keep the tree well watered and in a shady location until planting.&nbsp;

When moving the tree, lift it by the root ball or pot and not by the trunk.&nbsp;

Before planting, remove all wires, labels, cords or anything else tied to the plant.&nbsp;

If left on, they may eventually girdle the branch to which they are attached. The root flare (point where trunk and roots meet) should be visible. If it isn't, remove enough soil or media before planting so that it is.&nbsp;

Make the hole deep enough so that the tree sits slightly above nursery level. Plant the tree on solid ground, not fill dirt. In other words, don't dig the hole too deep and then add soil back to the hole before placing the tree.&nbsp;

The width of the planting hole is very important. It should be three times the width of the root ball. Loosening the soil outside the hole so it is five times the diameter of the root ball will allow the tree to spread its roots faster.&nbsp;

Remove all containers from the root ball.&nbsp;

Cut away plastic and peat pots; roll burlap and wire baskets back into the hole, cutting as much of the excess away as possible. If you can remove the wire basket without disturbing the root ball, do it. If roots have been circling around in the container, cut them and fluff them out so they do not continue growing so that they circle inside the hole and become girdling roots later in the life of the tree.&nbsp;

Backfill the hole with the same soil that was removed.&nbsp;

Amendments such as peat moss likely do more harm than good. Make sure the soil that goes back is loosened - no clods or clumps. Add water as you fill to ensure good root to soil contact and prevent air pockets. There is no need to fertilize at planting.&nbsp;

Don't cut back the branches of a tree after planting except those that are rubbing or damaged.&nbsp;

The leaf buds release a hormone that encourages root growth. If the tree is cut back, the reduced number of leaf buds results in less hormone released and therefore fewer roots being formed.&nbsp;

Then, water once a week for the first season if there is insufficient rainfall.&nbsp;

Mulch should be 2-4 inches deep and cover an area 2 to 3 times the diameter of the root ball. Mulching reduces competition from other plants, conserves moisture and keeps soil temperature closer to what the plants' roots prefer.&nbsp;

Trees will establish more quickly and grow faster if they are not staked. However, larger trees or those in windy locations may need to be staked the first year. Movement is necessary for the trunk to become strong. Staking should be designed to limit movement of the root ball rather than immobilize the trunk.&nbsp;

Upham and his colleagues in K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly Horticulture Newsletter with tips for maintaining gardens and home landscapes. The newsletter is&nbsp;<a href="https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html" target="_blank">available to view online</a>&nbsp;or can be delivered by email each week.&nbsp;

Interested persons can also send their garden- and yard-related questions to Upham&nbsp;<a href="mailto:atwupham@ksu.edu">atwupham@ksu.edu</a>, or contact your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/stateandareamaps.html" target="_blank">local K-State Research and Extension office</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679356890884.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Get a good start by selecting the right tree for your site.Photo courtesy KSRE<h2>K-State horticulture expert shares tips to set you up for success</h2>K-State Research and Extension News Service&nbsp;MANHATTAN – If you’re planning to plant a tree in your yard this spring, there are some steps you can take to make sure your new landscape has its best chance of success.&nbsp;Kansas State University horticulture expert Ward Upham shares the following 10 rules for planting trees:&nbsp;Select the right tree for the site.&nbsp;To avoid serious problems,&nbsp;<a href="http://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/recommended-plants/index.html" target="_blank">choose trees that are adapted to your location.</a>&nbsp;Consider whether the tree produces nuisance fruit or if there are disease-resistant varieties available. For example, there are a number of crabapple varieties that are resistant to apple scab and rust diseases. Also consider the mature size of a tree to be sure you have enough room. Ask a local nurseryman for suggestions for trees adapted to your area.&nbsp;Keep the tree well watered and in a shady location until planting.&nbsp;When moving the tree, lift it by the root ball or pot and not by the trunk.&nbsp;Before planting, remove all wires, labels, cords or anything else tied to the plant.&nbsp;If left on, they may eventually girdle the branch to which they are attached. The root flare (point where trunk and roots meet) should be visible. If it isn't, remove enough soil or media before planting so that it is.&nbsp;Dig a proper hole.&nbsp;Make the hole deep enough so that the tree sits slightly above nursery level. Plant the tree on solid ground, not fill dirt. In other words, don't dig the hole too deep and then add soil back to the hole before placing the tree.&nbsp;The width of the planting hole is very important. It should be three times the width of the root ball. Loosening the soil outside the hole so it is five times the diameter of the root ball will allow the tree to spread its roots faster.&nbsp;Remove all containers from the root ball.&nbsp;Cut away plastic and peat pots; roll burlap and wire baskets back into the hole, cutting as much of the excess away as possible. If you can remove the wire basket without disturbing the root ball, do it. If roots have been circling around in the container, cut them and fluff them out so they do not continue growing so that they circle inside the hole and become girdling roots later in the life of the tree.&nbsp;Backfill the hole with the same soil that was removed.&nbsp;Amendments such as peat moss likely do more harm than good. Make sure the soil that goes back is loosened - no clods or clumps. Add water as you fill to ensure good root to soil contact and prevent air pockets. There is no need to fertilize at planting.&nbsp;Don't cut back the branches of a tree after planting except those that are rubbing or damaged.&nbsp;The leaf buds release a hormone that encourages root growth. If the tree is cut back, the reduced number of leaf buds results in less hormone released and therefore fewer roots being formed.&nbsp;Water the tree thoroughly.&nbsp;Then, water once a week for the first season if there is insufficient rainfall.&nbsp;Mulch around the tree.&nbsp;Mulch should be 2-4 inches deep and cover an area 2 to 3 times the diameter of the root ball. Mulching reduces competition from other plants, conserves moisture and keeps soil temperature closer to what the plants' roots prefer.&nbsp;Stake only when necessary.&nbsp;Trees will establish more quickly and grow faster if they are not staked. However, larger trees or those in windy locations may need to be staked the first year. Movement is necessary for the trunk to become strong. Staking should be designed to limit movement of the root ball rather than immobilize the trunk.&nbsp;. . .Upham and his colleagues in K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly Horticulture Newsletter with tips for maintaining gardens and home landscapes. The newsletter is&nbsp;<a href="https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html" target="_blank">available to view online</a>&nbsp;or can be delivered by email each week.&nbsp;Interested persons can also send their garden- and yard-related questions to Upham&nbsp;<a href="mailto:atwupham@ksu.edu">atwupham@ksu.edu</a>, or contact your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/stateandareamaps.html" target="_blank">local K-State Research and Extension office</a>.

Happy Spring! Ten rules for planting trees

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.

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.