On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times host Gary Shorman speaks with Tree Top Security and STEM Harvest owner Dallas Haselhorst.

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times host Gary Shorman speaks with Tree Top Security and STEM Harvest owner Dallas Haselhorst.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6ODSqp4YVT0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🎤 Forward Ever: Tree Top Security and STEM Harvest owner Dallas Haselhorst

By ELIZABETH SCALA <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-i-teach-a-course-connecting-taylor-swifts-songs-to-the-works-of-shakespeare-hitchcock-and-plath-194120">The Conversation</a>

Unusual Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.

This class is part of a group of introductory English offerings that 
focus on basic methods of literary analysis and research. It fulfills 
different requirements for potential English majors and the general 
student population, so I am always looking for news ways to engage them.

For a few years, I taught it as a Harry Potter course. I introduced 
students to classic British literature by exploring the Romantic and 
medieval literary traditions present in the novel. 

But earlier this year, I realized I was bored. I had been listening 
to a lot of Taylor Swift with my college-aged daughter, who had been 
home for a year during the pandemic. Swift had recently released “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version/">Red (Taylor’s Version)</a>.”

Listening to her track “<a href="https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-reacts-to-all-too-well-song-of-the-year-grammy-nomination/">All Too Well</a>”
 was my epiphany. Swift’s vivid imagery and emotionally gripping detail 
had all the markings of a great narrative poem. She writes the song in a
 way that mirrors the recursions of memory. Her verses become 
increasingly strong and build upon each other once she starts 
remembering the past. At the same time, the song’s imagery moves from 
fall to winter as she reflects upon the relationship’s beginning and 
frosty end.

This course pairs Taylor Swift songs with a number of poems, along with a play, a novel and a film.

The semester began with the pairing of Swift’s songs with Renaissance
 love poetry. One class analyzing the metaphors, similes and colors in 
the song “Red” turned, a week or so later, into an exploration of 
Shakespeare’s use of similar colors in his famous sonnet 73: “<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45099/sonnet-73-that-time-of-year-thou-mayst-in-me-behold">That time of year thou mayst in me behold</a>.”

Shakespeare, meanwhile, begins his sonnet 73 with “That time of year 
thou mayst in me behold / When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang,”
 before pointing to the oranges of autumn’s “sunset [that] fadeth in the
 west” and “the glowing of such fire / That on the ashes of his youth 
doth lie.”

Where Swift moves from cool tones to “burning red,” Shakespeare moves
 through increasingly warm tones: from yellow, to orange, to red. But 
both move toward an intensity of color and heat.

Some couplings are obvious. For instance, Swift’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXzVF3XeS8M">Love Story</a>” mentions the title characters of Shakespeare’s “<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1513/1513-h/1513-h.htm">Romeo and Juliet</a>” – “Romeo save me, I’ve been feeling so alone.”

Others might come as more of a surprise: I paired Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/feb/23/olivia-laing-on-daphne-du-mauriers-rebecca-80-years-on">Rebecca</a>,” which Alfred Hitchcock <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/">adapted for the silver screen</a> in 1940, with Swift’s song “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s5xdY6MCeI">the last great american dynasty</a>.”

Centering on a scandalous woman named Rebecca – or Rebekah, in 
Swift’s song – the song, novel and film explore the relations of mad 
women and madwomen, the tenuous line between anger and craziness. It’s a
 theme Swift hits on in a number of songs, from her 2019 track “<a href="https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-the-man-lyrics">The Man</a>” to 2020’s “<a href="https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-mad-woman-lyrics">mad woman</a>,” which I paired with Sylvia Plath’s poem “<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49000/lady-lazarus">Lady Lazarus</a>.”

I think this course tapped into the zeitgeist in ways I couldn’t have
 imagined when I first dreamed it up. Of course, Swift’s music is 
popular, and she has long had a devoted following. But the October 2022 
release of her <a href="https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/taylor-swift-midnights-breaks-records-streaming-sales-charts">record-breaking</a> album “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-midnights/">Midnights</a>”
 has only made the course seem more relevant to students’ interests. As a
 class, we spent time exploring the ways tracks on “Midnights” revisited
 themes and writing strategies that appeared in Swift’s earlier songs.

What’s a critical lesson from the course?

Analyzing Swift’s writing will hopefully help my students recognize 
how certain poetic and literary devices operate in older texts – as much
 as those same books and poems from the past help them appreciate 
Swift’s art at a deeper level. They seem especially eager to engage with
 older materials, like Renaissance seduction poetry and black and white 
film, when they can see traces of the same artistic techniques in the 
music videos and songs they watch and listen to today.

Swift’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Taylor_Swift">award-winning songwriting</a> is attached to an English and American literary past in both obvious and more subtle ways. <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/taylor-swift-is-new-face-of-reading/">An avid reader herself</a>,
 Swift deploys forms – like metaphors, conceits and structures – that 
are part of a shared literary heritage that students might otherwise 
find old-fashioned and irrelevant.

Far from diminishing the value of Swift’s writing, tracing its 
connection to the literary greats shores up her authority as a creative 
artist. Swift, like all artists, is part of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-bob-dylan-used-the-ancient-practice-of-imitatio-to-craft-some-of-the-most-original-songs-of-his-time-187052">great tradition</a>, and she calls upon it to create new works.

Adam Bradley, “<a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300248326/the-poetry-of-pop/">The Poetry of Pop</a>,” 2019

Alfred Hitchcock, “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/">Rebecca</a>,” 1940

Taylor Swift, “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-folklore/">folkore</a>,” 2020

What will the course prepare students to do?

This course has rather modest ambitions. It prepares careful and 
critical readers, as well as articulate writers and researchers. 

It pays attention to what language denotes at the surface and what it
 carries around with it in its connotations and associations. It teaches
 students about those features, using the Oxford English Dictionary as a
 research tool to probe linguistic origin, register and usage beyond 
what a term literally means.

While delivering New York University’s 2022 commencement speech, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBG50aoUwlI">Swift urged the graduating seniors</a> to embrace their enthusiasms and be unafraid to explore their interests.

Finding a way to tap into students’ enthusiasm for Swift, and tie her
 songwriting to literary methodologies, is my version of following her 
lead.

Elizabeth Scala is a Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts.

By ELIZABETH SCALA <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-i-teach-a-course-connecting-taylor-swifts-songs-to-the-works-of-shakespeare-hitchcock-and-plath-194120">The Conversation</a>Unusual Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. <h2>Title of course:</h2>“The Taylor Swift Songbook”<h2>What prompted the idea for the course?</h2>This class is part of a group of introductory English offerings that 
focus on basic methods of literary analysis and research. It fulfills 
different requirements for potential English majors and the general 
student population, so I am always looking for news ways to engage them.For a few years, I taught it as a Harry Potter course. I introduced 
students to classic British literature by exploring the Romantic and 
medieval literary traditions present in the novel. But earlier this year, I realized I was bored. I had been listening 
to a lot of Taylor Swift with my college-aged daughter, who had been 
home for a year during the pandemic. Swift had recently released “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version/">Red (Taylor’s Version)</a>.” Listening to her track “<a href="https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-reacts-to-all-too-well-song-of-the-year-grammy-nomination/">All Too Well</a>”
 was my epiphany. Swift’s vivid imagery and emotionally gripping detail 
had all the markings of a great narrative poem. She writes the song in a
 way that mirrors the recursions of memory. Her verses become 
increasingly strong and build upon each other once she starts 
remembering the past. At the same time, the song’s imagery moves from 
fall to winter as she reflects upon the relationship’s beginning and 
frosty end. <h2>What does the course explore?</h2>This course pairs Taylor Swift songs with a number of poems, along with a play, a novel and a film.The semester began with the pairing of Swift’s songs with Renaissance
 love poetry. One class analyzing the metaphors, similes and colors in 
the song “Red” turned, a week or so later, into an exploration of 
Shakespeare’s use of similar colors in his famous sonnet 73: “<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45099/sonnet-73-that-time-of-year-thou-mayst-in-me-behold">That time of year thou mayst in me behold</a>.”From “Red”:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668787433536.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Shakespeare, meanwhile, begins his sonnet 73 with “That time of year 
thou mayst in me behold / When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang,”
 before pointing to the oranges of autumn’s “sunset [that] fadeth in the
 west” and “the glowing of such fire / That on the ashes of his youth 
doth lie.”Where Swift moves from cool tones to “burning red,” Shakespeare moves
 through increasingly warm tones: from yellow, to orange, to red. But 
both move toward an intensity of color and heat.Some couplings are obvious. For instance, Swift’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXzVF3XeS8M">Love Story</a>” mentions the title characters of Shakespeare’s “<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1513/1513-h/1513-h.htm">Romeo and Juliet</a>” – “Romeo save me, I’ve been feeling so alone.” Others might come as more of a surprise: I paired Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/feb/23/olivia-laing-on-daphne-du-mauriers-rebecca-80-years-on">Rebecca</a>,” which Alfred Hitchcock <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/">adapted for the silver screen</a> in 1940, with Swift’s song “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s5xdY6MCeI">the last great american dynasty</a>.” Centering on a scandalous woman named Rebecca – or Rebekah, in 
Swift’s song – the song, novel and film explore the relations of mad 
women and madwomen, the tenuous line between anger and craziness. It’s a
 theme Swift hits on in a number of songs, from her 2019 track “<a href="https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-the-man-lyrics">The Man</a>” to 2020’s “<a href="https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-mad-woman-lyrics">mad woman</a>,” which I paired with Sylvia Plath’s poem “<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49000/lady-lazarus">Lady Lazarus</a>.” <h2>Why is this course relevant now?</h2>I think this course tapped into the zeitgeist in ways I couldn’t have
 imagined when I first dreamed it up. Of course, Swift’s music is 
popular, and she has long had a devoted following. But the October 2022 
release of her <a href="https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/taylor-swift-midnights-breaks-records-streaming-sales-charts">record-breaking</a> album “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-midnights/">Midnights</a>”
 has only made the course seem more relevant to students’ interests. As a
 class, we spent time exploring the ways tracks on “Midnights” revisited
 themes and writing strategies that appeared in Swift’s earlier songs.<h2>What’s a critical lesson from the course?</h2>Analyzing Swift’s writing will hopefully help my students recognize 
how certain poetic and literary devices operate in older texts – as much
 as those same books and poems from the past help them appreciate 
Swift’s art at a deeper level. They seem especially eager to engage with
 older materials, like Renaissance seduction poetry and black and white 
film, when they can see traces of the same artistic techniques in the 
music videos and songs they watch and listen to today.Swift’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Taylor_Swift">award-winning songwriting</a> is attached to an English and American literary past in both obvious and more subtle ways. <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/taylor-swift-is-new-face-of-reading/">An avid reader herself</a>,
 Swift deploys forms – like metaphors, conceits and structures – that 
are part of a shared literary heritage that students might otherwise 
find old-fashioned and irrelevant. Far from diminishing the value of Swift’s writing, tracing its 
connection to the literary greats shores up her authority as a creative 
artist. Swift, like all artists, is part of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-bob-dylan-used-the-ancient-practice-of-imitatio-to-craft-some-of-the-most-original-songs-of-his-time-187052">great tradition</a>, and she calls upon it to create new works.<h2>What materials does the course feature?</h2>Adam Bradley, “<a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300248326/the-poetry-of-pop/">The Poetry of Pop</a>,” 2019 Alfred Hitchcock, “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/">Rebecca</a>,” 1940 Taylor Swift, “<a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-folklore/">folkore</a>,” 2020 <h2>What will the course prepare students to do?</h2>This course has rather modest ambitions. It prepares careful and 
critical readers, as well as articulate writers and researchers. It pays attention to what language denotes at the surface and what it
 carries around with it in its connotations and associations. It teaches
 students about those features, using the Oxford English Dictionary as a
 research tool to probe linguistic origin, register and usage beyond 
what a term literally means.While delivering New York University’s 2022 commencement speech, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBG50aoUwlI">Swift urged the graduating seniors</a> to embrace their enthusiasms and be unafraid to explore their interests. Finding a way to tap into students’ enthusiasm for Swift, and tie her
 songwriting to literary methodologies, is my version of following her 
lead.Elizabeth Scala is a Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194120/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

Shakespeare, Hitchcock, Plath  ... and Taylor Swift?

By GRAHAM DUNBAR Associated Press

DOHA, Qatar — Qatar banned the sale of beer at <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup">World Cup stadiums</a>
 on Friday, a sudden U-turn on the deal the conservative Muslim emirate 
made to secure the soccer tournament with only two days to go before the
 opening game.

The move was the latest sign of the tension of 
staging the event, which is not just a sports tournament but also a 
monthlong party, in the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-soccer-world-cup-sports-travel-c66ca9fb25b737f8ff34df97d5501327">autocratic country where the sale of alcohol is heavily restricted</a>.
 It's also a significant blow to World Cup beer sponsor Budweiser and 
raised questions about how much control FIFA retains over its 
tournament.

When Qatar launched its bid to host the World Cup, the
 country agreed to FIFA’s requirements of selling alcohol in stadiums — 
but the details <a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-religion-middle-east-897ebb79eaa12d69c4f353cd2d7ae55a">were only released in September</a>,
 just 11 weeks before the first kickoff, suggesting how fraught the 
negotiations may have been. Friday's statement from FIFA said 
non-alcoholic beer will still be sold at the eight stadiums, while 
champagne, wine, whiskey and other alcohol will be served in the luxury 
hospitality areas of the arenas.

But the vast majority of ticket 
holders don't have access to those areas; they will be able to drink 
alcoholic beer in the evenings in what is known as the FIFA Fan 
Festival, a designated party area that also offers live music and 
activities. Outside of the tournament-run areas, Qatar puts strict 
limits on the purchase and consumption of alcohol, though its sale has 
been permitted in hotel bars for years.

“Following discussions 
between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to 
focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other 
fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from
 ... stadium perimeters,” FIFA said in a statement.

As the news 
broke, Budweiser’s Twitter account tweeted: “Well, this is awkward...” 
without elaborating. The tweet was later deleted.

Ab InBev, the 
parent company of Budweiser, acknowledged in a statement that some of 
its plans “cannot move forward due to circumstances beyond our control.”

The
 company pays tens of millions of dollars at each World Cup for 
exclusive rights to sell beer and has already shipped the majority of 
its stock from Britain to Qatar in expectation of selling its product to
 millions of fans. While the actual sales at the tournament might not be
 a significant percentage of the massive company's revenues, the World 
Cup nonetheless represents a major branding opportunity.

The 
company’s partnership with FIFA started at the 1986 tournament, and they
 are in negotiations for renewing their deal for the next World Cup in 
North America.

Ronan Evain, the executive director of the fan 
group Football Supporters Europe, called the decision to ban beer sales 
at the stadiums in Qatar “extremely worrying.”

“For many fans, 
whether they don’t drink alcohol or are used to dry stadium policies at 
home, this is a detail. It won’t change their tournament,” Evain wrote 
on Twitter. “But with 48 (hours) to go, we’ve clearly entered a 
dangerous territory — where ‘assurances’ don’t matter anymore.”

Qatar,
 which is governed by a hereditary emir who has absolute say over all 
governmental decisions, follows an ultraconservative form of Islam known
 as Wahhabism like neighboring Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Qatar has 
transformed into an ultra-modern hub following a natural gas boom in the
 1990s, but it has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-entertainment-sports-soccer-religion-c3dcfa7cefe111716e2fade034d50eab">faced pressure from within</a> to stay true to its Islamic heritage and Bedouin roots. Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol.

In
 the runup to the World Cup, rights groups have raised concerns about 
how the nation will host millions of foreign fans, some of whom might 
violate Islamic laws criminalizing public drunkenness, sex outside of 
marriage and homosexuality.

Qatar’s government and its Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Friday's was not Qatar's first backtrack — but it was the most significant. Last weekend, AB InBev was left surprised by a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-soccer-sports-international-qatar-c7fa8bba6be7da8a86291265b63c38cb">new policy insisted on by Qatari organizers</a> to move beer stalls to less visible locations within the stadium compounds.

And Qatar also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-world-cup-qatar-gianni-infantino-12168376f9892774bec11a2e87dba180">changed the date of the opening match</a> only weeks before the World Cup began.

Previous
 World Cup hosts have been asked to make concessions. For the 2014 
tournament, Brazil was forced to change a law to allow alcohol sales in 
stadiums — but the same cultural issues were not at play.

AB 
InBev’s deal with FIFA was renewed in 2011 — after Qatar was picked as 
host. However, the Belgium-based brewer has faced uncertainty in recent 
months on the exact details of where it can serve and sell beer in 
Qatar. And some have balked at the price, which was confirmed at $14 for
 a beer.

At the W Hotel in Doha — where the company will be based —
 workers continued putting together a Budweiser-themed bar planned at 
the site. Its familiar AB logo was plastered on columns and walls at the
 hotel, with one reading: “The World Is Yours To Take.”

By GRAHAM DUNBAR Associated PressDOHA, Qatar — Qatar banned the sale of beer at <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup">World Cup stadiums</a>
 on Friday, a sudden U-turn on the deal the conservative Muslim emirate 
made to secure the soccer tournament with only two days to go before the
 opening game.The move was the latest sign of the tension of 
staging the event, which is not just a sports tournament but also a 
monthlong party, in the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-soccer-world-cup-sports-travel-c66ca9fb25b737f8ff34df97d5501327">autocratic country where the sale of alcohol is heavily restricted</a>.
 It's also a significant blow to World Cup beer sponsor Budweiser and 
raised questions about how much control FIFA retains over its 
tournament.When Qatar launched its bid to host the World Cup, the
 country agreed to FIFA’s requirements of selling alcohol in stadiums — 
but the details <a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-religion-middle-east-897ebb79eaa12d69c4f353cd2d7ae55a">were only released in September</a>,
 just 11 weeks before the first kickoff, suggesting how fraught the 
negotiations may have been. Friday's statement from FIFA said 
non-alcoholic beer will still be sold at the eight stadiums, while 
champagne, wine, whiskey and other alcohol will be served in the luxury 
hospitality areas of the arenas.But the vast majority of ticket 
holders don't have access to those areas; they will be able to drink 
alcoholic beer in the evenings in what is known as the FIFA Fan 
Festival, a designated party area that also offers live music and 
activities. Outside of the tournament-run areas, Qatar puts strict 
limits on the purchase and consumption of alcohol, though its sale has 
been permitted in hotel bars for years.“Following discussions 
between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to 
focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other 
fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from
 ... stadium perimeters,” FIFA said in a statement.As the news 
broke, Budweiser’s Twitter account tweeted: “Well, this is awkward...” 
without elaborating. The tweet was later deleted.Ab InBev, the 
parent company of Budweiser, acknowledged in a statement that some of 
its plans “cannot move forward due to circumstances beyond our control.”The
 company pays tens of millions of dollars at each World Cup for 
exclusive rights to sell beer and has already shipped the majority of 
its stock from Britain to Qatar in expectation of selling its product to
 millions of fans. While the actual sales at the tournament might not be
 a significant percentage of the massive company's revenues, the World 
Cup nonetheless represents a major branding opportunity.The 
company’s partnership with FIFA started at the 1986 tournament, and they
 are in negotiations for renewing their deal for the next World Cup in 
North America.Ronan Evain, the executive director of the fan 
group Football Supporters Europe, called the decision to ban beer sales 
at the stadiums in Qatar “extremely worrying.”“For many fans, 
whether they don’t drink alcohol or are used to dry stadium policies at 
home, this is a detail. It won’t change their tournament,” Evain wrote 
on Twitter. “But with 48 (hours) to go, we’ve clearly entered a 
dangerous territory — where ‘assurances’ don’t matter anymore.”Qatar,
 which is governed by a hereditary emir who has absolute say over all 
governmental decisions, follows an ultraconservative form of Islam known
 as Wahhabism like neighboring Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Qatar has 
transformed into an ultra-modern hub following a natural gas boom in the
 1990s, but it has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-entertainment-sports-soccer-religion-c3dcfa7cefe111716e2fade034d50eab">faced pressure from within</a> to stay true to its Islamic heritage and Bedouin roots. Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol.In
 the runup to the World Cup, rights groups have raised concerns about 
how the nation will host millions of foreign fans, some of whom might 
violate Islamic laws criminalizing public drunkenness, sex outside of 
marriage and homosexuality.Qatar’s government and its Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Friday's was not Qatar's first backtrack — but it was the most significant. Last weekend, AB InBev was left surprised by a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-soccer-sports-international-qatar-c7fa8bba6be7da8a86291265b63c38cb">new policy insisted on by Qatari organizers</a> to move beer stalls to less visible locations within the stadium compounds.And Qatar also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-world-cup-qatar-gianni-infantino-12168376f9892774bec11a2e87dba180">changed the date of the opening match</a> only weeks before the World Cup began.Previous
 World Cup hosts have been asked to make concessions. For the 2014 
tournament, Brazil was forced to change a law to allow alcohol sales in 
stadiums — but the same cultural issues were not at play.AB 
InBev’s deal with FIFA was renewed in 2011 — after Qatar was picked as 
host. However, the Belgium-based brewer has faced uncertainty in recent 
months on the exact details of where it can serve and sell beer in 
Qatar. And some have balked at the price, which was confirmed at $14 for
 a beer.At the W Hotel in Doha — where the company will be based —
 workers continued putting together a Budweiser-themed bar planned at 
the site. Its familiar AB logo was plastered on columns and walls at the
 hotel, with one reading: “The World Is Yours To Take.”

Qatar bans sale of beer at World Cup stadiums in about-face

By KRISTIN M. HALL AP Entertainment Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ticketmaster says&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Ticketmaster/status/1593333211769106433">it is canceling Friday's planned general public sale</a>&nbsp;for Taylor Swift's upcoming stadium tour because it doesn't have enough tickets.

The decision came two days after a presale event caused the site to crash and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">left many fans without tickets</a>. The ticketing company&nbsp;<a href="https://business.ticketmaster.com/business-solutions/the-taylor-swift-on-sale-explained-2/">said in a statement Thursday</a>&nbsp;two million tickets to The Eras tour next year were sold during presales on Tuesday, the most tickets ever sold on the platform in a single day.

Ticketmaster cited "extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand" as a reason for calling off Friday's sale.

Questions remain about how remaining tickets — and how many — would be sold. But Ticketmaster said about 1.5 million fans who had gone through an early verification process — called Verified Fan — were invited to purchase tickets and the remaining 2 million were placed on a waiting list.

A company representative said Ticketmaster is not involved in ticket resales for Swift's shows.

It's been a record year for Swift after releasing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-930a204fbbfccea45f6012f0da4feef6">her latest album “Midnights," which also broke a Billboard record.</a>

The 52-date Eras Tour kicks off March 17 in Glendale, Arizona, and wraps up with five shows in Los Angeles ending Aug. 9. International dates will be announced as well. It’s Swift’s first tour since 2018.

But fans and families around the country&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">battled it out with long queues and error messages</a>&nbsp;to try to race to the checkout cart.

Ticketmaster said that the site was overwhelmed both by real people and bot attacks resulting in unprecedented traffic on their site. The statement said about 15 percent of interactions with the site had problems, including errors that caused people to lose tickets after they had waited in an online queue.

"While it’s impossible for everyone to get tickets to these shows, we know we can do more to improve the experience and that’s what we’re focused on," the company statement said.

By KRISTIN M. HALL AP Entertainment Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ticketmaster says&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Ticketmaster/status/1593333211769106433">it is canceling Friday's planned general public sale</a>&nbsp;for Taylor Swift's upcoming stadium tour because it doesn't have enough tickets.The decision came two days after a presale event caused the site to crash and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">left many fans without tickets</a>. The ticketing company&nbsp;<a href="https://business.ticketmaster.com/business-solutions/the-taylor-swift-on-sale-explained-2/">said in a statement Thursday</a>&nbsp;two million tickets to The Eras tour next year were sold during presales on Tuesday, the most tickets ever sold on the platform in a single day.Ticketmaster cited "extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand" as a reason for calling off Friday's sale.Questions remain about how remaining tickets — and how many — would be sold. But Ticketmaster said about 1.5 million fans who had gone through an early verification process — called Verified Fan — were invited to purchase tickets and the remaining 2 million were placed on a waiting list.A company representative said Ticketmaster is not involved in ticket resales for Swift's shows.It's been a record year for Swift after releasing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-930a204fbbfccea45f6012f0da4feef6">her latest album “Midnights," which also broke a Billboard record.</a>The 52-date Eras Tour kicks off March 17 in Glendale, Arizona, and wraps up with five shows in Los Angeles ending Aug. 9. International dates will be announced as well. It’s Swift’s first tour since 2018.But fans and families around the country&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">battled it out with long queues and error messages</a>&nbsp;to try to race to the checkout cart.Ticketmaster said that the site was overwhelmed both by real people and bot attacks resulting in unprecedented traffic on their site. The statement said about 15 percent of interactions with the site had problems, including errors that caused people to lose tickets after they had waited in an online queue."While it’s impossible for everyone to get tickets to these shows, we know we can do more to improve the experience and that’s what we’re focused on," the company statement said.

Ticketmaster canceling next Taylor Swift concert ticket sale

By ANNE M. PETERSON Associated Press

Official-looking flyers have circulated on social media describing 
cultural expectations for fans attending the World Cup in Qatar. Some 
include rules for women’s attire: Shoulders and knees must be covered.

While
 the local organizing committee suggests that fans “respect the 
culture,” no one is expected to be detained or barred from games in 
Qatar because of clothing choices. But persistent rumors swirling around
 appropriate garb and modesty at soccer’s biggest tournament have also 
drawn attention to the country’s record on equality.

Rothna Begum,
 a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, has studied Qatar’s male 
guardianship rules and women's rights in the conservative country.

“There
 isn’t anyone is going to go around arresting you for this because there
 isn’t an official dress code," Begum said. "There isn’t a compulsory 
dress code and you can't get sanctioned for it. It’s just a social 
restriction, a social tradition.”

The local organizing committee includes a section on cultural awareness in its fan guide.

“People
 can generally wear their clothing of choice. Shoulders and knees should
 be covered when visiting public places like museums and other 
government buildings,” it said.

The phrase “public places” is up to interpretation.

The American Outlaws, the U.S. national team's supporters' group, produced its own fan guide.

“Fans
 can wear shorts and short sleeve shirts, and women are not required to 
cover their heads or faces. However, there are many buildings that 
require both men and women to cover their shoulders and knees before 
entering, including museums, shopping centers, and some restaurants," 
the guide says. "We recommend that fans carry some pants and/or a top 
with sleeves if they plan on entering any buildings, as they may be 
asked to put them on.

“In the stadiums, men and women will be 
required to wear tops. People will not be permitted to go shirtless 
during matches or in public settings."

The first World Cup in the 
Middle East comes at a time when there is international attention on the
 treatment of women in Iran. The nation, which sits across the Persian 
Gulf from Qatar, has been rocked by anti-hijab protests following the 
death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while being held by morality 
police for allegedly violating the country’s compulsory dress code for 
women. Activists have called for Iran to be expelled from the World Cup.

With Islam encouraging female modesty, most Qatari women wear headscarves and a loose cloak known as the abaya.

Begum,
 who wrote about Qatar and its treatment of women in a 2021 report for 
Human Rights Watch, said that while women have made progress in Qatar, 
they still face discrimination in almost every facet of their lives. 
Women must get permission from male guardians to marry, pursue higher 
education and work at certain jobs. Guardians can bar women under 25 
from traveling abroad.

It's a conservative culture that has little tolerance for dissent among its own citizens, she said.

“There
 are no independent women’s rights organizations and that’s partly 
because the authorities have laws that make it difficult for you to set 
up associations that are in any way deemed political. You are not 
allowed," Begum said. “Women find it difficult to express or demand 
their rights offline or even online."

That's one of the reasons 
critics are questioning FIFA for awarding of the 2022 World Cup to 
Qatar. Observers certainly noticed when retired American soccer star 
Carli Lloyd wore a long, high-collared dress with long sleeves for the 
World Cup draw earlier this year.

A letter recently circulated 
among teams from FIFA president Gianni Infantino and secretary general 
Fatma Samoura asked nations not to bring political or ideological issues
 into the tournament.

“Please," they wrote, "let’s now focus on the football.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668725284147.jpeg" alt="Former American soccer international Carli Lloyd, right, and Jermaine Jenas, English television presenter, pundit and retired professional soccer player assist with the 2022 soccer World Cup draw at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, Qatar, Friday, April 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)" />
 <figcaption>Former American soccer international Carli Lloyd, right, and Jermaine Jenas, English television presenter, pundit and retired professional soccer player assist with the 2022 soccer World Cup draw at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, Qatar, Friday, April 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ANNE M. PETERSON Associated PressOfficial-looking flyers have circulated on social media describing 
cultural expectations for fans attending the World Cup in Qatar. Some 
include rules for women’s attire: Shoulders and knees must be covered.Problem is, it’s bogus.While
 the local organizing committee suggests that fans “respect the 
culture,” no one is expected to be detained or barred from games in 
Qatar because of clothing choices. But persistent rumors swirling around
 appropriate garb and modesty at soccer’s biggest tournament have also 
drawn attention to the country’s record on equality.Rothna Begum,
 a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, has studied Qatar’s male 
guardianship rules and women's rights in the conservative country.“There
 isn’t anyone is going to go around arresting you for this because there
 isn’t an official dress code," Begum said. "There isn’t a compulsory 
dress code and you can't get sanctioned for it. It’s just a social 
restriction, a social tradition.”The local organizing committee includes a section on cultural awareness in its fan guide.“People
 can generally wear their clothing of choice. Shoulders and knees should
 be covered when visiting public places like museums and other 
government buildings,” it said.The phrase “public places” is up to interpretation.The American Outlaws, the U.S. national team's supporters' group, produced its own fan guide.“Fans
 can wear shorts and short sleeve shirts, and women are not required to 
cover their heads or faces. However, there are many buildings that 
require both men and women to cover their shoulders and knees before 
entering, including museums, shopping centers, and some restaurants," 
the guide says. "We recommend that fans carry some pants and/or a top 
with sleeves if they plan on entering any buildings, as they may be 
asked to put them on.“In the stadiums, men and women will be 
required to wear tops. People will not be permitted to go shirtless 
during matches or in public settings."The first World Cup in the 
Middle East comes at a time when there is international attention on the
 treatment of women in Iran. The nation, which sits across the Persian 
Gulf from Qatar, has been rocked by anti-hijab protests following the 
death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while being held by morality 
police for allegedly violating the country’s compulsory dress code for 
women. Activists have called for Iran to be expelled from the World Cup.With Islam encouraging female modesty, most Qatari women wear headscarves and a loose cloak known as the abaya.Begum,
 who wrote about Qatar and its treatment of women in a 2021 report for 
Human Rights Watch, said that while women have made progress in Qatar, 
they still face discrimination in almost every facet of their lives. 
Women must get permission from male guardians to marry, pursue higher 
education and work at certain jobs. Guardians can bar women under 25 
from traveling abroad.It's a conservative culture that has little tolerance for dissent among its own citizens, she said.“There
 are no independent women’s rights organizations and that’s partly 
because the authorities have laws that make it difficult for you to set 
up associations that are in any way deemed political. You are not 
allowed," Begum said. “Women find it difficult to express or demand 
their rights offline or even online."That's one of the reasons 
critics are questioning FIFA for awarding of the 2022 World Cup to 
Qatar. Observers certainly noticed when retired American soccer star 
Carli Lloyd wore a long, high-collared dress with long sleeves for the 
World Cup draw earlier this year.A letter recently circulated 
among teams from FIFA president Gianni Infantino and secretary general 
Fatma Samoura asked nations not to bring political or ideological issues
 into the tournament.“Please," they wrote, "let’s now focus on the football.”

World Cup draws attention to equal rights, including attire

LOS
 ANGELES (AP) — Robert Clary, a French-born survivor of Nazi 
concentration camps during World War II who played a feisty prisoner of 
war in the improbable 1960s sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” has died. He was 
96.

Clary died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in the Los Angeles area, niece Brenda Hancock said Thursday.

“He
 never let those horrors defeat him," Hancock said of Clary's wartime 
experience as a youth. “He never let them take the joy out of his life. 
He tried to spread that joy to others through his singing and his 
dancing and his painting.”

When he recounted his life to students,
 he told them, “Don't ever hate,” Hancock said. “He didn't let hate 
overcome the beauty in this world.”

“Hogan’s Heroes,” in which 
Allied soldiers in a POW camp bested their clownish German army captors 
with espionage schemes, played the war strictly for laughs during its 
1965-71 run. The 5-foot-1 Clary sported a beret and a sardonic smile as 
Cpl. Louis LeBeau.

Clary was the last surviving original star of 
the sitcom that included Bob Crane, Richard Dawson, Larry Hovis and Ivan
 Dixon as the prisoners. Werner Klemperer and John Banner, who played 
their captors, both were European Jews who fled Nazi persecution before 
the war.

Clary began his career as a nightclub singer and appeared
 on stage in musicals including “Irma La Douce” and “Cabaret.” After 
“Hogan’s Heroes,” Clary's TV work included the soap operas “The Young 
and the Restless,” “Days of Our Lives” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

He
 considered musical theater the highlight of his career. “I loved to go 
to the theater at quarter of 8, put the stage makeup on and entertain,” 
he said in a 2014 interview.

He remained publicly silent about his
 wartime experience until 1980 when, Clary said, he was provoked to 
speak out by those who denied or diminished the orchestrated effort by 
Nazi Germany to exterminate Jews.

A documentary about Clary’s 
childhood and years of horror at Nazi hands, “Robert Clary, A5714: A 
Memoir of Liberation,” was released in 1985. The forearms of 
concentration camp prisoners were tattooed with identification numbers, 
with A5714 to be Clary’s lifelong mark.

“They write books and 
articles in magazines denying the Holocaust, making a mockery of the 6 
million Jews — including a million and a half children — who died in the
 gas chambers and ovens,” he told The Associated Press in a 1985 
interview.

Twelve of his immediate family members, his parents and
 10 siblings, were killed under the Nazis, Clary wrote in a biography 
posted on his website.

In 1997, he was among dozens of Holocaust 
survivors whose portraits and stories were included in “The Triumphant 
Spirit,” a book by photographer Nick Del Calzo.

“I beg the next 
generation not to do what people have done for centuries — hate others 
because of their skin, shape of their eyes, or religious preference,” 
Clary said in an interview at the time.

Retired from acting, Clary
 remained busy with his family, friends and his painting. His memoir, 
“From the Holocaust to Hogan’s Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert 
Clary,” was published in 2001.

“One Of The Lucky Ones,” a 
biography of one of Clary's older sisters, Nicole Holland, was written 
by Hancock, her daughter. Holland, who worked with the French Resistance
 against Germany, survived the war, as did another sister. Hancock's 
second book, “Talent Luck Courage,” recounts Clary and Holland's lives 
and their impact.

Clary was born Robert Widerman in Paris in March
 1926, the youngest of 14 children in the Jewish family. He was 16 when 
he and most of his family were taken by the Nazis.

In the 
documentary, Clary recalled a happy childhood until he and his family 
was forced from their Paris apartment and put into a crowded cattle car 
that carried them to concentration camps.

“Nobody knew where we were going,” Clary said. “We were not human beings anymore.”

After
 31 months in captivity in several concentration camps, he was liberated
 from the Buchenwald death camp by American troops. His youth and 
ability to work kept him alive, Clary said.

Returning to Paris and
 reunited with his two sisters, Clary worked as a singer and recorded 
songs that became popular in America.

After coming to the United 
States in 1949, he moved from club dates and recording to Broadway 
musicals, including “New Faces of 1952,” and then to movies. He appeared
 in films including 1952’s “Thief of Damascus,” “A New Kind of Love” in 
1963 and “The Hindenburg” in 1975.

In recent years, Clary recorded
 jazz versions of songs by Ira Gershwin, Stephen Sondheim and other 
greats, said his nephew Brian Gari, a songwriter who worked on the CDs 
with Clary.

Clary was proud of the results, Gari said, and 
thrilled by a complimentary letter he received from Sondheim. “He hung 
that on the kitchen wall,” Gari said.

Clary didn’t feel uneasy about the comedy on “Hogan’s Heroes” despite the tragedy of his family’s devastating war experience.

“It
 was completely different. I know they (POWs) had a terrible life, but 
compared to concentration camps and gas chambers it was like a holiday.”

Clary married Natalie Cantor, the daughter of singer-actor Eddie Cantor, in 1965. She died in 1997.

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/onZm-1GjYdw"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS
 ANGELES (AP) — Robert Clary, a French-born survivor of Nazi 
concentration camps during World War II who played a feisty prisoner of 
war in the improbable 1960s sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” has died. He was 
96.Clary died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in the Los Angeles area, niece Brenda Hancock said Thursday.“He
 never let those horrors defeat him," Hancock said of Clary's wartime 
experience as a youth. “He never let them take the joy out of his life. 
He tried to spread that joy to others through his singing and his 
dancing and his painting.”When he recounted his life to students,
 he told them, “Don't ever hate,” Hancock said. “He didn't let hate 
overcome the beauty in this world.”“Hogan’s Heroes,” in which 
Allied soldiers in a POW camp bested their clownish German army captors 
with espionage schemes, played the war strictly for laughs during its 
1965-71 run. The 5-foot-1 Clary sported a beret and a sardonic smile as 
Cpl. Louis LeBeau.Clary was the last surviving original star of 
the sitcom that included Bob Crane, Richard Dawson, Larry Hovis and Ivan
 Dixon as the prisoners. Werner Klemperer and John Banner, who played 
their captors, both were European Jews who fled Nazi persecution before 
the war.Clary began his career as a nightclub singer and appeared
 on stage in musicals including “Irma La Douce” and “Cabaret.” After 
“Hogan’s Heroes,” Clary's TV work included the soap operas “The Young 
and the Restless,” “Days of Our Lives” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.”He
 considered musical theater the highlight of his career. “I loved to go 
to the theater at quarter of 8, put the stage makeup on and entertain,” 
he said in a 2014 interview.He remained publicly silent about his
 wartime experience until 1980 when, Clary said, he was provoked to 
speak out by those who denied or diminished the orchestrated effort by 
Nazi Germany to exterminate Jews.A documentary about Clary’s 
childhood and years of horror at Nazi hands, “Robert Clary, A5714: A 
Memoir of Liberation,” was released in 1985. The forearms of 
concentration camp prisoners were tattooed with identification numbers, 
with A5714 to be Clary’s lifelong mark.“They write books and 
articles in magazines denying the Holocaust, making a mockery of the 6 
million Jews — including a million and a half children — who died in the
 gas chambers and ovens,” he told The Associated Press in a 1985 
interview.Twelve of his immediate family members, his parents and
 10 siblings, were killed under the Nazis, Clary wrote in a biography 
posted on his website.In 1997, he was among dozens of Holocaust 
survivors whose portraits and stories were included in “The Triumphant 
Spirit,” a book by photographer Nick Del Calzo.“I beg the next 
generation not to do what people have done for centuries — hate others 
because of their skin, shape of their eyes, or religious preference,” 
Clary said in an interview at the time.Retired from acting, Clary
 remained busy with his family, friends and his painting. His memoir, 
“From the Holocaust to Hogan’s Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert 
Clary,” was published in 2001.“One Of The Lucky Ones,” a 
biography of one of Clary's older sisters, Nicole Holland, was written 
by Hancock, her daughter. Holland, who worked with the French Resistance
 against Germany, survived the war, as did another sister. Hancock's 
second book, “Talent Luck Courage,” recounts Clary and Holland's lives 
and their impact.Clary was born Robert Widerman in Paris in March
 1926, the youngest of 14 children in the Jewish family. He was 16 when 
he and most of his family were taken by the Nazis.In the 
documentary, Clary recalled a happy childhood until he and his family 
was forced from their Paris apartment and put into a crowded cattle car 
that carried them to concentration camps.“Nobody knew where we were going,” Clary said. “We were not human beings anymore.”After
 31 months in captivity in several concentration camps, he was liberated
 from the Buchenwald death camp by American troops. His youth and 
ability to work kept him alive, Clary said.Returning to Paris and
 reunited with his two sisters, Clary worked as a singer and recorded 
songs that became popular in America.After coming to the United 
States in 1949, he moved from club dates and recording to Broadway 
musicals, including “New Faces of 1952,” and then to movies. He appeared
 in films including 1952’s “Thief of Damascus,” “A New Kind of Love” in 
1963 and “The Hindenburg” in 1975.In recent years, Clary recorded
 jazz versions of songs by Ira Gershwin, Stephen Sondheim and other 
greats, said his nephew Brian Gari, a songwriter who worked on the CDs 
with Clary.Clary was proud of the results, Gari said, and 
thrilled by a complimentary letter he received from Sondheim. “He hung 
that on the kitchen wall,” Gari said.Clary didn’t feel uneasy about the comedy on “Hogan’s Heroes” despite the tragedy of his family’s devastating war experience.“It
 was completely different. I know they (POWs) had a terrible life, but 
compared to concentration camps and gas chambers it was like a holiday.”Clary married Natalie Cantor, the daughter of singer-actor Eddie Cantor, in 1965. She died in 1997.

Last of the ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ stars dies at 96

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ticketmaster says <a href="https://twitter.com/Ticketmaster/status/1593333211769106433">it is canceling Friday's planned general public sale</a> for Taylor Swift's upcoming stadium tour because it doesn't have enough tickets.

The decision came two days after a presale event caused the site to crash and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">left many fans without tickets</a>. The ticketing company <a href="https://business.ticketmaster.com/business-solutions/the-taylor-swift-on-sale-explained-2/">said in a statement Thursday</a>
 two million tickets to The Eras tour next year were sold during 
presales on Tuesday, the most tickets ever sold on the platform in a 
single day.

Ticketmaster cited "extraordinarily high demands on 
ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet 
that demand" as a reason for calling off Friday's sale.

Questions 
remain about how remaining tickets — and how many — would be sold. But 
Ticketmaster said about 1.5 million fans who had gone through an early 
verification process — called Verified Fan — were invited to purchase 
tickets and the remaining 2 million were placed on a waiting list.

It's been a record year for Swift after releasing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-930a204fbbfccea45f6012f0da4feef6">her latest album “Midnights," which also broke a Billboard record.</a>

The
 52-date Eras Tour kicks off March 17 in Glendale, Arizona, and wraps up
 with five shows in Los Angeles ending Aug. 9. International dates will 
be announced as well. It’s Swift’s first tour since 2018.

But fans and families around the country <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">battled it out with long queues and error messages</a> to try to race to the checkout cart.

Ticketmaster
 said that the site was overwhelmed both by real people and bot attacks 
resulting in unprecedented traffic on their site. The statement said 
about 15 percent of interactions with the site had problems, including 
errors that caused people to lose tickets after they had waited in an 
online queue.

"While it’s impossible for everyone to get tickets 
to these shows, we know we can do more to improve the experience and 
that’s what we’re focused on," the company statement said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ticketmaster says <a href="https://twitter.com/Ticketmaster/status/1593333211769106433">it is canceling Friday's planned general public sale</a> for Taylor Swift's upcoming stadium tour because it doesn't have enough tickets.The decision came two days after a presale event caused the site to crash and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">left many fans without tickets</a>. The ticketing company <a href="https://business.ticketmaster.com/business-solutions/the-taylor-swift-on-sale-explained-2/">said in a statement Thursday</a>
 two million tickets to The Eras tour next year were sold during 
presales on Tuesday, the most tickets ever sold on the platform in a 
single day.Ticketmaster cited "extraordinarily high demands on 
ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet 
that demand" as a reason for calling off Friday's sale.Questions 
remain about how remaining tickets — and how many — would be sold. But 
Ticketmaster said about 1.5 million fans who had gone through an early 
verification process — called Verified Fan — were invited to purchase 
tickets and the remaining 2 million were placed on a waiting list.A company representative said Ticketmaster is not involved in ticket resales for Swift's shows.It's been a record year for Swift after releasing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-930a204fbbfccea45f6012f0da4feef6">her latest album “Midnights," which also broke a Billboard record.</a>The
 52-date Eras Tour kicks off March 17 in Glendale, Arizona, and wraps up
 with five shows in Los Angeles ending Aug. 9. International dates will 
be announced as well. It’s Swift’s first tour since 2018.But fans and families around the country <a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">battled it out with long queues and error messages</a> to try to race to the checkout cart.Ticketmaster
 said that the site was overwhelmed both by real people and bot attacks 
resulting in unprecedented traffic on their site. The statement said 
about 15 percent of interactions with the site had problems, including 
errors that caused people to lose tickets after they had waited in an 
online queue."While it’s impossible for everyone to get tickets 
to these shows, we know we can do more to improve the experience and 
that’s what we’re focused on," the company statement said.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Victoria Community Coalition plans Holiday Home Tours fundraiser

Celebrate the holiday season with the Salina Symphony and Ballet Salina production of&nbsp;The Nutcracker.

Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 10 and 4 p.m. Dec. 11 in the Stiefel Theatre, 151 S. Santa Fe. This beloved story of a young girl’s Christmas Eve dream never fails to touch the heart and create a lasting memory for the whole family.

Enjoy a magical experience watching Clara and the Nutcracker grace the stage as the Salina Symphony and more than 70 dancers bring Tchaikovsky’s masterful score to life.

Guest artists Oscar Fernandez and Cecily Khuner of Ballet Memphis will dance as Cavalier and Sugar Plum Fairy.

“We’re honored to be partnering with the Salina Symphony for ‘The Nutcracker,’ which will feature local dancers as well as two very talented professional dancers,” said Tamara Howe of Ballet Salina, a division of Tamara Howe School of Dance. “We couldn’t be more excited to share this magical holiday production with the Salina community.”

Tickets may be purchased at the Stiefel Theatre Box Office, by calling 785-827-1998 or online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.salinasymphony.org/">www.salinasymphony.org</a>. Single admission is $29 or $39 and $19 for students/children ages 3 and up.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668647724223.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Photo courtesy Salina SymphonySalina SymphonyCelebrate the holiday season with the Salina Symphony and Ballet Salina production of&nbsp;The Nutcracker.Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 10 and 4 p.m. Dec. 11 in the Stiefel Theatre, 151 S. Santa Fe. This beloved story of a young girl’s Christmas Eve dream never fails to touch the heart and create a lasting memory for the whole family.Enjoy a magical experience watching Clara and the Nutcracker grace the stage as the Salina Symphony and more than 70 dancers bring Tchaikovsky’s masterful score to life.Guest artists Oscar Fernandez and Cecily Khuner of Ballet Memphis will dance as Cavalier and Sugar Plum Fairy.“We’re honored to be partnering with the Salina Symphony for ‘The Nutcracker,’ which will feature local dancers as well as two very talented professional dancers,” said Tamara Howe of Ballet Salina, a division of Tamara Howe School of Dance. “We couldn’t be more excited to share this magical holiday production with the Salina community.”Tickets on sale now!Tickets may be purchased at the Stiefel Theatre Box Office, by calling 785-827-1998 or online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.salinasymphony.org/">www.salinasymphony.org</a>. Single admission is $29 or $39 and $19 for students/children ages 3 and up.

Salina Symphony, Ballet Salina to present 'The Nutcracker' Dec. 10-11

By NATE KING Salina Post

Hundreds of motorcyclists and motorcycle enthusiasts will be bringing Christmas cheer to those who need it most this weekend.

The riders for the Salina Toy Run will begin to line up at noon Sunday in the southeast parking lot of the Central Mall, 2259 S. Ninth Street. The riders will depart at 2 p.m. and will move north on Ninth Street to W. Elm Street. From there, they will go east to N. Santa Fe Avenue, then south to E. Crawford Street. Riders then will go east to S. Ohio Street and south to E. Magnolia Road before turning west to the final destination of Redeemer Lutheran Church, 743 E. Magnolia Road.

The&nbsp; Salina Toy Run is celebrating 36&nbsp;consecutive years of collecting toys for Ashby House and DVACK (Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas). The event was originally organized by the Golden Eagle Bike Club of Salina. Nearly 20 years ago, after the bike club was disbanded,&nbsp;Jim&nbsp;Trepoy&nbsp;and other volunteers decided to keep the tradition alive.&nbsp;

"Depending on mother nature, we usually have a couple hundred riders participate,"&nbsp;Trepoy&nbsp;said. "We've had as many as 500 in the past."&nbsp;

Image courtesy Salina Motorcycle Enthusiasts Club

Following the Toy Run, there will be a chili feed at Schmidt Motos located at 328 N. 12th&nbsp;Street in Salina.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668615845830.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>Image courtesy Salina Toy RunBy NATE KING Salina PostHundreds of motorcyclists and motorcycle enthusiasts will be bringing Christmas cheer to those who need it most this weekend. The riders for the Salina Toy Run will begin to line up at noon Sunday in the southeast parking lot of the Central Mall, 2259 S. Ninth Street. The riders will depart at 2 p.m. and will move north on Ninth Street to W. Elm Street. From there, they will go east to N. Santa Fe Avenue, then south to E. Crawford Street. Riders then will go east to S. Ohio Street and south to E. Magnolia Road before turning west to the final destination of Redeemer Lutheran Church, 743 E. Magnolia Road.The&nbsp; Salina Toy Run is celebrating 36&nbsp;consecutive years of collecting toys for Ashby House and DVACK (Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas). The event was originally organized by the Golden Eagle Bike Club of Salina. Nearly 20 years ago, after the bike club was disbanded,&nbsp;Jim&nbsp;Trepoy&nbsp;and other volunteers decided to keep the tradition alive.&nbsp;"Depending on mother nature, we usually have a couple hundred riders participate,"&nbsp;Trepoy&nbsp;said. "We've had as many as 500 in the past."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668615553101.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>Image courtesy Salina Motorcycle Enthusiasts ClubFollowing the Toy Run, there will be a chili feed at Schmidt Motos located at 328 N. 12th&nbsp;Street in Salina.&nbsp;&nbsp;

100s of motorcyclists expected for 36th annual Salina Toy Run

The Central Kansas Community Choir performs at a previous concert.

The Central Kansas Community Choir (CKCC) will perform its “Holiday Harmony” concert featuring uplifting vocal selections at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 at the First Methodist Church 2123 Forest Ave. in Great Bend.

The CKCC is&nbsp;a non-denominational mixed chorus&nbsp;sponsored by Barton Community College and strives to provide challenging performances of quality literature for the enjoyment of the residents of the Central Kansas area. Choir membership is open to high school-age singers and above.&nbsp;It was founded in the spring of 2003 by former director Vern Fryberger.

For more information, contact Director of Choral Activities Dr. Eric Foley at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:foleye@bartonccc.edu" target="_blank">foleye@bartonccc.edu</a>&nbsp;or (620) 792-9395.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668524936978.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>The Central Kansas Community Choir performs at a previous concert.The Central Kansas Community Choir (CKCC) will perform its “Holiday Harmony” concert featuring uplifting vocal selections at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 at the First Methodist Church 2123 Forest Ave. in Great Bend.The CKCC is&nbsp;a non-denominational mixed chorus&nbsp;sponsored by Barton Community College and strives to provide challenging performances of quality literature for the enjoyment of the residents of the Central Kansas area. Choir membership is open to high school-age singers and above.&nbsp;It was founded in the spring of 2003 by former director Vern Fryberger.For more information, contact Director of Choral Activities Dr. Eric Foley at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:foleye@bartonccc.edu" target="_blank">foleye@bartonccc.edu</a>&nbsp;or (620) 792-9395.

Central Kansas Community Choir to perform in Great Bend

RUSSELL — The Deines Cultural Center welcomes its newest art exhibition with Rebel Mahieu and her show: Master of Ceremonies.

Rebel was born in Beloit in 1972 and grew up on a farm north of Glen Elder. She received an associate of arts degree from Cloud County Community College, studied commercial design at Kansas State University, and received a B.A. in art education with an emphasis in printmaking from Fort Hays State University in 1995.

She then taught art for eight years, coached basketball and helped STUCO students build floats for parades at Ruppenthal Middle School in Russell.

In 2012, Rebel received a MLS degree in sculpture from Fort Hays State University and is now in her 15th year of teaching art at Colby Community College; she absolutely loves working with students to encourage them to experiment with materials and ideas and to promote art/artists in the community.

When Rebel is creating she enjoys using layers of various materials in a mixed medium style. In her layers you will see symbols, color, and texture used to express an idea or moment in time.

Rebel enjoys going to galleries, taking part in and organizing art walks, and traipsing around the country with her boys and family looking for Native American petroglyphs/pictographs and studying the culture.

Rebel Mahieu's exhibition is at the Deines Cultural Center through Jan. 4.

The Deines is located at 820 N. Main St. in Russell. Admission is free. Call 785-483-3742 for information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668604658916.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedRUSSELL — The Deines Cultural Center welcomes its newest art exhibition with Rebel Mahieu and her show: Master of Ceremonies.Rebel was born in Beloit in 1972 and grew up on a farm north of Glen Elder. She received an associate of arts degree from Cloud County Community College, studied commercial design at Kansas State University, and received a B.A. in art education with an emphasis in printmaking from Fort Hays State University in 1995.She then taught art for eight years, coached basketball and helped STUCO students build floats for parades at Ruppenthal Middle School in Russell.In 2012, Rebel received a MLS degree in sculpture from Fort Hays State University and is now in her 15th year of teaching art at Colby Community College; she absolutely loves working with students to encourage them to experiment with materials and ideas and to promote art/artists in the community.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668462145109.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>When Rebel is creating she enjoys using layers of various materials in a mixed medium style. In her layers you will see symbols, color, and texture used to express an idea or moment in time.Rebel enjoys going to galleries, taking part in and organizing art walks, and traipsing around the country with her boys and family looking for Native American petroglyphs/pictographs and studying the culture.Rebel Mahieu's exhibition is at the Deines Cultural Center through Jan. 4.The Deines is located at 820 N. Main St. in Russell. Admission is free. Call 785-483-3742 for information.

Artwork by Beloit native at Deines Cultural Center in Russell

The Barton Performing Arts Department invites&nbsp;the community to enjoy nostalgic, holiday-themed entertainment at its annual holiday concert “A Hometown Holiday” at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 2 in the Fine Arts Auditorium.

“The Holiday Concert is a great event to start the holiday season, with songs and dances that can bring joy and happiness to all ages,” Director of Choral Activities Dr. Eric Foley said. “The audience can expect to have a great time enjoying the moods and music that are a staple of the holiday season.”

The concert will feature holiday selections by Barton’s Concert Choir, Hilltop Singers, Barton Jazz Ensemble and Barton Dance Theatre.

While admission is free, donations are accepted and appreciated. All proceeds will benefit the Fine and Performing Arts students.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Barton Performing Arts Department invites&nbsp;the community to enjoy nostalgic, holiday-themed entertainment at its annual holiday concert “A Hometown Holiday” at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 2 in the Fine Arts Auditorium.“The Holiday Concert is a great event to start the holiday season, with songs and dances that can bring joy and happiness to all ages,” Director of Choral Activities Dr. Eric Foley said. “The audience can expect to have a great time enjoying the moods and music that are a staple of the holiday season.”The concert will feature holiday selections by Barton’s Concert Choir, Hilltop Singers, Barton Jazz Ensemble and Barton Dance Theatre.While admission is free, donations are accepted and appreciated. All proceeds will benefit the Fine and Performing Arts students.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Barton Performing Arts presents 'A Hometown Holiday' concert

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

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michelle-obama">Michelle Obama</a>&nbsp;says it helps to focus on what you can control when you feel out of control.

Among the things she could control during the death and isolation of the pandemic, the racial unrest and threats to democracy were her spools of yarn and her knitting needles.

She labels such thinking the “power of small," and she writes in her new book, “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times,” that by focusing on a small task like knitting she was able to get through the worry, anxiety and stress of the past few unsettling years.

“The interesting thing about knitting and using your hands and making something is that it is meditative,” the former first lady said Tuesday night at the Warner Theater in Washington, where she kicked off a monthlong,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michelle-obama-book-tour-75a4b69fcb733115f47c4ef0345e1872">six-city publicity tour</a>&nbsp;to promote the book.

“In so many ways, it is like a faith,” she said, seated on stage with a friend, former daytime talk-show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ellen-degeneres">Ellen DeGeneres</a>, who engaged Mrs. Obama in nearly 90 minutes of often humorous conversation. “It's a thing that shuts your worrying mind and lets your hands take over.”

“I think about the knit and the purl, and the knit and the purl, and a row and a row and a row," the former first lady said, naming different stitches and techniques used in knitting. "And if you keep it up, and you're focused, you have a sweater.”

In the book, published Tuesday, she shares the contents of her “personal toolbox” — the habits and practices, attitudes and beliefs, and even physical objects that she uses to overcome her feelings of fear, helplessness and self doubt.

“This book is meant to show you what I keep there and why, what I use professionally and personally to help me stay balanced and confident, what keeps me moving forward even during times of high anxiety and stress,” she wrote in the introduction.

The 58-year-old wife of former President Barack Obama and mother of adult daughters Malia and Sasha wrote that the book, her third, is not a how-to manual, but rather is a “series of honest reflections on what my life has taught me so far.”

“Keep in mind, too, that everything I know, all the various tools I lean on, have come to me only through trial and error, over years of constant practice and reevaluation," she wrote. "I spent decades learning on my feet, making mistakes, adjustments, and course corrections as I went. I’ve progressed only slowly to where I am today.”

“The Light We Carry” is Mrs. Obama's first new work since the 2018 release of her bestselling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-michelle-obama-scholarships-amanda-gorman-802b44803d0e03249bfd3b0a141b4864">memoir</a>, “Becoming,” which has sold more than 17 million copies worldwide, by far the most popular book by a previous first lady or modern president, including her husband.

As first lady, she wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gardening-health-elections-campaigns-michelle-obama-6aa8104c65d04bc9bfbece3e258a9124">“American Grown,”</a>&nbsp;a book about the produce garden she had planted at the White House in 2009.

Mrs. Obama opened the tour in Washington and has events planned at Philadelphia’s The Met, Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, the Chicago Theatre and San Francisco’s Masonic before the tour closes at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles.

Seated in a plush purple chair on stage at the nearly 100-year-old Washington theater, Mrs. Obama discussed her feelings after the 2016 election in which her husband was succeeded by Donald Trump. Coincidentally, Trump announced a third run for president during her appearance.

“If you guys recall, I said, ‘Don’t vote for this guy,'" she said, meaning Trump, who sought to undo much of Obama's record as president. “It hurt because you wonder — was it a rebuke of the eight years, the sacrifice we made? Was it complacency? What was it?”

The former first lady also discussed overcoming her fear of change and coming to the realization that she could not stand in the way of her husband's desire to run for president in 2008. He had given her veto power over his decision.

“Opportunity is on the other side of that,” she said, speaking of fear.

She also talked about the pandemic, saying her family handled it better than most because they were already used to isolation from the eight years they lived in the White House “bubble.”

She spoke about how hard it was as first lady — and still is — to make new friends she can trust, and how fun it is to watch her daughters “adult” as they share an apartment in California. The girls had returned to Washington to live with their parents during the pandemic.

Sasha had completed one semester at the University of Michigan before she came back home. Malia, who was enrolled at Harvard, spent her senior year at home and ended up missing out on a graduation ceremony because of COVID-19. So her parents staged a ceremony in their backyard, complete with commencement speakers.

“It was me, and Barack,” Mrs. Obama said, laughing. “We told her how lucky she was. She got us both.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DARLENE%20SUPERVILLE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press</a>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michelle-obama">Michelle Obama</a>&nbsp;says it helps to focus on what you can control when you feel out of control.Among the things she could control during the death and isolation of the pandemic, the racial unrest and threats to democracy were her spools of yarn and her knitting needles.She labels such thinking the “power of small," and she writes in her new book, “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times,” that by focusing on a small task like knitting she was able to get through the worry, anxiety and stress of the past few unsettling years.“The interesting thing about knitting and using your hands and making something is that it is meditative,” the former first lady said Tuesday night at the Warner Theater in Washington, where she kicked off a monthlong,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michelle-obama-book-tour-75a4b69fcb733115f47c4ef0345e1872">six-city publicity tour</a>&nbsp;to promote the book.“In so many ways, it is like a faith,” she said, seated on stage with a friend, former daytime talk-show host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ellen-degeneres">Ellen DeGeneres</a>, who engaged Mrs. Obama in nearly 90 minutes of often humorous conversation. “It's a thing that shuts your worrying mind and lets your hands take over.”And therein lies the power, she said.“I think about the knit and the purl, and the knit and the purl, and a row and a row and a row," the former first lady said, naming different stitches and techniques used in knitting. "And if you keep it up, and you're focused, you have a sweater.”In the book, published Tuesday, she shares the contents of her “personal toolbox” — the habits and practices, attitudes and beliefs, and even physical objects that she uses to overcome her feelings of fear, helplessness and self doubt.“This book is meant to show you what I keep there and why, what I use professionally and personally to help me stay balanced and confident, what keeps me moving forward even during times of high anxiety and stress,” she wrote in the introduction.The 58-year-old wife of former President Barack Obama and mother of adult daughters Malia and Sasha wrote that the book, her third, is not a how-to manual, but rather is a “series of honest reflections on what my life has taught me so far.”“Keep in mind, too, that everything I know, all the various tools I lean on, have come to me only through trial and error, over years of constant practice and reevaluation," she wrote. "I spent decades learning on my feet, making mistakes, adjustments, and course corrections as I went. I’ve progressed only slowly to where I am today.”“The Light We Carry” is Mrs. Obama's first new work since the 2018 release of her bestselling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-michelle-obama-scholarships-amanda-gorman-802b44803d0e03249bfd3b0a141b4864">memoir</a>, “Becoming,” which has sold more than 17 million copies worldwide, by far the most popular book by a previous first lady or modern president, including her husband.As first lady, she wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gardening-health-elections-campaigns-michelle-obama-6aa8104c65d04bc9bfbece3e258a9124">“American Grown,”</a>&nbsp;a book about the produce garden she had planted at the White House in 2009.Mrs. Obama opened the tour in Washington and has events planned at Philadelphia’s The Met, Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, the Chicago Theatre and San Francisco’s Masonic before the tour closes at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles.Seated in a plush purple chair on stage at the nearly 100-year-old Washington theater, Mrs. Obama discussed her feelings after the 2016 election in which her husband was succeeded by Donald Trump. Coincidentally, Trump announced a third run for president during her appearance.“If you guys recall, I said, ‘Don’t vote for this guy,'" she said, meaning Trump, who sought to undo much of Obama's record as president. “It hurt because you wonder — was it a rebuke of the eight years, the sacrifice we made? Was it complacency? What was it?”The former first lady also discussed overcoming her fear of change and coming to the realization that she could not stand in the way of her husband's desire to run for president in 2008. He had given her veto power over his decision.“Opportunity is on the other side of that,” she said, speaking of fear.She also talked about the pandemic, saying her family handled it better than most because they were already used to isolation from the eight years they lived in the White House “bubble.”She spoke about how hard it was as first lady — and still is — to make new friends she can trust, and how fun it is to watch her daughters “adult” as they share an apartment in California. The girls had returned to Washington to live with their parents during the pandemic.Sasha had completed one semester at the University of Michigan before she came back home. Malia, who was enrolled at Harvard, spent her senior year at home and ended up missing out on a graduation ceremony because of COVID-19. So her parents staged a ceremony in their backyard, complete with commencement speakers.“It was me, and Barack,” Mrs. Obama said, laughing. “We told her how lucky she was. She got us both.”

Michelle Obama opens tour for new book, 'The Light We Carry'

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

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyoncé has propelled herself into the highest Grammy echelon: The star singer claimed a leading nine nominations Tuesday, making her tied — with her husband Jay-Z — as the most nominated music act in the history of the awards show.

Beyoncé's “Break My Soul” reeled in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2023-grammy-award-nominations-music-89b5d3f6c70f918394a358a41c84ce9e">record and song of the year nominations</a>, while “Renaissance” — which ventured into the world of dancehall music — netted an album of the year nod. With Jay-Z also earning five nods this year, each spouse now holds the record for the most-ever Grammy nominations at 88 apiece.

Kendrick Lamar came away with the second-most nominations, with eight. Adele and Brandi Carlile both received seven nods. Harry Styles, Mary J. Blige, Future, DJ Khaled, The-Dream and mastering engineer Randy Merrill each picked up six.

Nearly half of this year’s leading nominees — announced by the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, John Legend, Machine Gun Kelly and Smokey Robinson —are women and more than half are people of color, according to the recording academy. The ceremony will be held Feb. 5 in Los Angeles.

“This makes me feel very proud, but it makes me conscious of the fact that we have to maintain the work we have done,” said Harvey Mason jr., the Recording Academy’s CEO. He said there have been strides in the peer-driven voting system and increased membership, but he still believes more progress can be made.

“This year, I’m pleased with the result and work the voters did,” he continued. “We have almost 13,000 voters now. It’s really important work. I’m pleased to think they spent the time listening to the music and evaluating. I think you see by the type of nominations that they are not only going for just popular music or music that has a lot of streams. It’s just music of high quality.”

The academy added a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-026433f3356e976dbec7d16b3b7d7c65">special song for social change and five new categories including songwriter of the year</a>, which Harvey says will further help diversify the 65th edition of the annual awards.

The non-classical songwriter category will recognize one individual who was the “most prolific” non-performing and non-producing songwriter for a body of new work during an eligibility year. It will take a different approach than song of the year, which awards the songwriters who wrote the lyrics or melodies to one song.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONATHAN%20LANDRUM%20Jr.%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer</a>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyoncé has propelled herself into the highest Grammy echelon: The star singer claimed a leading nine nominations Tuesday, making her tied — with her husband Jay-Z — as the most nominated music act in the history of the awards show.Beyoncé's “Break My Soul” reeled in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2023-grammy-award-nominations-music-89b5d3f6c70f918394a358a41c84ce9e">record and song of the year nominations</a>, while “Renaissance” — which ventured into the world of dancehall music — netted an album of the year nod. With Jay-Z also earning five nods this year, each spouse now holds the record for the most-ever Grammy nominations at 88 apiece.Kendrick Lamar came away with the second-most nominations, with eight. Adele and Brandi Carlile both received seven nods. Harry Styles, Mary J. Blige, Future, DJ Khaled, The-Dream and mastering engineer Randy Merrill each picked up six.Nearly half of this year’s leading nominees — announced by the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, John Legend, Machine Gun Kelly and Smokey Robinson —are women and more than half are people of color, according to the recording academy. The ceremony will be held Feb. 5 in Los Angeles.“This makes me feel very proud, but it makes me conscious of the fact that we have to maintain the work we have done,” said Harvey Mason jr., the Recording Academy’s CEO. He said there have been strides in the peer-driven voting system and increased membership, but he still believes more progress can be made.“This year, I’m pleased with the result and work the voters did,” he continued. “We have almost 13,000 voters now. It’s really important work. I’m pleased to think they spent the time listening to the music and evaluating. I think you see by the type of nominations that they are not only going for just popular music or music that has a lot of streams. It’s just music of high quality.”The academy added a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-026433f3356e976dbec7d16b3b7d7c65">special song for social change and five new categories including songwriter of the year</a>, which Harvey says will further help diversify the 65th edition of the annual awards.The non-classical songwriter category will recognize one individual who was the “most prolific” non-performing and non-producing songwriter for a body of new work during an eligibility year. It will take a different approach than song of the year, which awards the songwriters who wrote the lyrics or melodies to one song.Harvey said implementing the songwriters category is a “significant” step forward for the music industry. Last year, a rule update allowed that any songwriter, producer, engineer or featured artist on a work nominated for album of the year could ultimately earn a nomination.“The academy and voters are placing a high importance on the craft of songwriting,” Harvey said of the new category, in which nominees include The-Dream, Amy Allen, Nija Charles, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Laura Veltz. “Personally, as a songwriter, I’m happy to see it being a significant part of our process. We realize that songwriting is at the heart of our industry. It’s one of the building blocks for every artist’s career.”Harvey said it's his priority to earn the trust from the music community including The Weeknd and Drake, who are still unwilling to submit any of their music. Drake declined to submit his album “Honestly Nevermind” for the awards, but the Canadian rapper still received four nominations — including album of the year for his co-writing efforts on Beyoncé's “Renaissance.”“Anything that has been looked at and talked about in the past, we're going to continue to look at it and improve it,” Harvey said. “As we do that work, our hope is that all artists feel comfortable and confident with the work the academy does.”Beyoncé, the most decorated woman in Grammy history with 28 wins, could break the late Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti’s record for most awards won if she wins four awards. Solti, who has 31 Grammys, has held on to the record since 1997.For the first time in Beyoncé's lauded career, she was nominated in the dance category. Her seventh studio project is up for best dance-electronic music album and “Break My Soul” is nominated for best dance-electronic recording. Other nominations include best R&amp;B song for “Cuff It,” R&amp;B performance for “Virgo’s Groove,” traditional R&amp;B performance for “Plastic Off the Sofa” and song written for visual media for “Be Alive,” the Oscar-nominated song from the “King Richard” soundtrack.Other album of the year nominees include: Adele’s “30,” ABBA’s “Voyage,” Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti,” Mary J. Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous” (Deluxe), Carlile’s “In These Silent Days,” Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres,” Lamar’s “Mr. Morale &amp; the Big Steppers,” Lizzo’s “Special” and Styles’ “Harry’s House.” Bad Bunny made history, with his album becoming the first sung entirely in Spanish to compete in the category.Tracks competing with “Break My Soul” for record of the year include Styles’ “As It Was,” Doja Cat’s “Woman,” Adele’s “Easy On Me,” ABBA’s “Don’t Shut Me Down,” Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous,” Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit,” Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” and Carlile’s “You and Me On the Rock” featuring Lucius.Three of Jay-Z’s nominations came through DJ Khaled’s “God Did,” a song featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend and Fridayy. The track is up for best rap performance and rap song along with song of the year, which also has Jay-Z nominated for his writing efforts on Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul.” The rapper also received a nod for album of the year for his work on his wife’s “Renaissance” album.Young Thug and Gunna both received nominations despite being currently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-crime-arrests-georgia-1b33395632861d48b1314e90a962148a">locked up in a racketeering criminal case.</a>&nbsp;The rappers are up for best rap song and rap performance through Gunna's “pushin P,” featuring Thug and Future.Christina Aguilera's comeback to Latin music with her self-titled album earned her two nominations for best Latin pop album and immersive audio album. Among the 10 nominees for best new artist are Muni Long, Latto and Eurovision winner Maneskin.