Author: Ohart

Music has featured prominently in Tanzania’s political campaigns this year ahead of the Oct. 28 general elections.The ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), or Party of the Revolution, has trotted out the biggest number of musicians during rallies by incumbent President John Pombe Magufuli. CCM opened Magufuli’s campaign in late August with a stadium-filled special concert of 200 songs by more than 100 artists from the Afro-pop music genre widely known as Bongo Flava.But it is Tundu Lissu, the presidential candidate of Tanzania’s main opposition Chadema party, speaks to the media at his home in Dar es Salaam, Sept. 9, 2020.Tumaini Makene, Lissu’s campaign manager, says a DJ played “One Love” at a rally in southern Tanzania and the candidate broke into an impromptu reggae dance, stoking a frenzy among the huge crowd. The song, released on the 1977 album “Exodus,” has since become a staple of Lissu’s campaign, often used to open rallies or else to calm the crowd when it seems to go out of control.Tanzania’s electoral campaigns have been particularly music-heavy this year.  The ruling CCM party commands the biggest attractions, pulling large crowds to rallies featuring popular Bongo Flava musicians such as Diamond Platnumz, Ali Kiba and Harmonize.But it is the young female artist Zuchu who has spurred the most popular song for Magufuli’s campaign. “Tanzania Ya Sasa,” which translates as “Today’s Tanzania,” extols the successes of Magufuli during his first five years in power.Chadema has its share of local musicians at its rallies, but Marley’s songs – “One Love” and “Buffalo Soldier” among them – are the crowd favorites. Chadema campaign DJs line up a playlist heavy with his reggae songs.Chadema officials say their presidential candidate did not specifically ask for Marley’s music. He simply responded to the vibes of the songs chosen by the DJs at his public rallies.This report originated in VOA’s Swahili service, where Mwamoyo Hamza serves as its chief.
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As the Afghan Taliban tries to negotiate a political settlement with the government, many musicians in the country are worried about the impact a deal will have on their ability to work, as VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reports from Kabul.Videographer:  Ahmad Javed, Rahim Gul Sarwan  Producer: Marcus Harton
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The Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays will face off in Major League Baseball’s World Series beginning Tuesday. The Dodgers secured their spot with a dramatic victory Sunday night, defeating the Atlanta Braves 4-3 in the deciding seventh game of the National League Championship Series. Los Angeles at one point trailed in the series three games to one, and Atlanta shot out to an early 2-0 lead in game 7.   But the Dodgers battled back, with centerfielder Cody Bellinger breaking a 3-3 tie with a seventh-inning home run, and pitcher Julio Urias throwing three scoreless innings to close out the win. The American League Championship Series also went to seven games, with Tampa Bay holding off a late rally Saturday to beat the Houston Astros. The Rays led that series three games to none before Houston won three in a row to push the series to seven games. Tampa Bay rookie Randy Arozarena was the star with four total home runs, including a two-run homer in the first inning of Game 7 to give the Rays a lead they would not relinquish. After a season cut to 60 games because of the coronavirus, the playoffs have delivered the teams with the two top records in the league to the World Series. The matchup also includes two teams at opposite ends of the league financially, with the Dodgers maintaining one of the highest payrolls and the Rays one of the lowest. One lingering effect of the coronavirus pandemic is that all World Series games will be played in Arlington, Texas, instead of in Los Angeles and Tampa Bay. A limited number of fans – about 11,500 in a ballpark that seats 40,000 – will be able to attend the games. For the Dodgers, it is their third World Series appearance in the span of four seasons.  The team has been one of the best in baseball during that time but is still chasing its first championship since 1988. Tampa Bay made its only World Series appearance in 2008 when it lost to the Philadelphia Phillies. 
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Live music is slowly coming back to the streets of New York City – in a new, pandemic-inspired way. With the city concert venues still closed, New York Philharmonic decided to put its world-class musicians on a truck to perform on city roads and intersections. Anna Nelson has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.
Camera: Natalia Latukhina, Vladimir Badikov  
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Billie Eilish’s debut album continued its winning streak, picking up the top Billboard 200 album honor at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards. Eilish was at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday night to accept the honor for “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” It won the top prize at the Grammy Awards in January. She thanked her fans for “believing in me and caring about me,” adding that when it comes to winning awards, “never ever take these for granted.” Eilish wore a mask as she spoke in front of an empty venue — because of the coronavirus pandemic — and she’s up for more honors throughout the night. Kelly Clarkson, who is hosting, kicked off the show singing Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love,” which became a dance hit last year after Whitney Houston’s cover of the song was remixed by Norwegian DJ-producer Kygo and became an international hit. Clarkson was joined by drummer Sheila E. and a cappella group Pentatonix for the performance of the song, which earned Houston, who died in 2012, a posthumous nomination for top dance/electronic song. Post Malone, who will perform later in the show, is the top nominee with 16, including bids for top artist, top male artist, top rap artist and top streaming songs artist. His competition for the show’s biggest prize, top artist, includes Taylor Swift, Eilish, Khalid and Jonas Brothers.Post Malone appears on stage with his nine awards to include top male artist and top artist at the Billboard Music Awards on Oct. 14, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.K-pop all-stars BTS — who currently own the top two positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week with “Dynamite” and the “Savage Love” remix, with Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo — will also perform. Others set to perform Wednesday include Alicia Keys, Bad Bunny, Sia, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Doja Cat, En Vogue, Khalid, Brandy, Ty Dolla $ign, Swae Lee, Demi Lovato and SAINt JHN. Country music icon Garth Brooks will be presented the Icon Award from Cher, and rapper-activist Killer Mike will earn the Change Maker Award. Some of the performances will be live, while others were pre-taped due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s ceremony was originally supposed to take place in April but was postponed because of the pandemic.  Other nominees include Kanye West, who released two gospel albums last year. He is up for nine prizes, including bids for top gospel artist and top Christian artist, while four of the five songs nominated for top gospel song are from West. Outside of Houston, other deceased nominees include rapper Juice WRLD, who died in December and is currently dominating the charts and streaming services with his first posthumous album “Legends Never Die.” He picked up nominations for top rap artist and top rap album for his 2019 release “Death Race for Love.” And EDM superstar Avicii is nominated for top dance/electronic artist and top dance/electronic album for “Tim,” the album he started working on before he died in 2018 and was later completed by his producers and family. 
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The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday accused Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, author of a tell-all book about first lady Melania Trump, of breaking their nondisclosure agreement and asked a court to set aside profits from the book in a government trust.
 
In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, Justice Department lawyers said Wolkoff, a former aide who fell out with the first lady, failed to submit to government review a draft of her book, “Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady,” which offers an unflattering portrayal of President Donald Trump’s wife.
 
 “The United States seeks to hold Ms. Wolkoff to her contractual and fiduciary obligations and to ensure that she is not unjustly enriched by her breach of the duties she freely assumed when she served as an adviser to the first lady,” said a copy of the complaint seen by Reuters.
 
 The book was published six weeks ago.
 
 The complaint says Wolkoff and Mrs. Trump in August 2017 sealed a “Gratuitous Services Agreement” related to “nonpublic, privileged and/or confidential information” that she might obtain during her service under the agreement.
 
 “This was a contract with the United States and therefore enforceable by the United States,” said Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec.
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Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for coronavirus, according to the Portuguese soccer federation.
 
The federation says Ronaldo, currently playing for the Portuguese national team in Nations League play, has shown no symptoms and is expected to self-quarantine.
 
Ronaldo, who last played Sunday in a 0-0 draw against France, will not play in Wednesday’s match against Sweden in Lisbon.His positive result led to testing for the entire Portuguese team, the federation said, adding that no one else has tested positive.
 
Portugal was expected to hold a normal practice Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s match.
 
Portugal was tied with France atop Group 3 after three matches.
 
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The state of Virginia proclaimed Monday “Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” the latest of a growing list of states that have chosen to honor Indigenous Americans on a federal holiday dedicated to Christopher Columbus.“As a country and as a Commonwealth, we have too often failed to live up to our commitments with those who were the first stewards of the lands we now call Virginia, and they have suffered historic injustices as a result,” Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement.Last year, Maine, New Mexico and Vermont moved to officially observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day, joining Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and South Dakota.Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Columbus Day via proclamation.Columbus Day has been a federal holiday since 1937, commemorating Italian explorer Christopher Columbus’ “discovery” of the United States — a land already occupied by Indigenous Americans. In 1977, a delegation of Native Nations presented a resolution to the United Nations-sponsored International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas, paving the way for individual cities and states to commemorate Indigenous Peoples’ Day.“By dedicating this day to the strength and resilience of Indigenous peoples, we condemn those who have tried to erase us, and build strength through understanding,” Deb Haaland, the first Indigenous woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, wrote Monday on Twitter.By dedicating this day to the strength and resilience of Indigenous peoples, we condemn those who have tried to erase us, and build strength through understanding. #IndigenousPeoplesDaypic.twitter.com/gDPN5P9LWf— Rep. Deb Haaland (@RepDebHaaland) October 12, 2020In addition to honoring Indigenous lives, proponents of Indigenous Peoples’ Day cite crimes committed by Columbus against Indigenous people as a reason to change the nature of the holiday.“After 50 years of “Columbus discovering America,” 2.86 million of the estimated 3 million Tainos living on the island now named Hispaniola had died, 95% of the population,” Rebecca Nagle, Cherokee writer and activist, wrote Monday on Twitter.6. After 50 years of “Columbus discovering America”, 2.86 million of the estimated 3 million Tainos living on the island now named Hispanola had died, 95% of the population. Imagine if in a period of 50 years, 19 out of every 20 people you knew had died.— Rebecca Nagle (@rebeccanagle) October 12, 2020The White House released a statement Monday honoring Columbus Day, denouncing “radical activists” for “seeking to undermine” the legacy of Columbus.“These extremists seek to replace discussion of his vast contributions with talk of failings, his discoveries with atrocities, and his achievements with transgressions,” the statement reads.  
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For many, it’s not Christmas without the dance of Clara, Uncle Drosselmeyer, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Mouse King and, of course, the Nutcracker Prince.
But this year the coronavirus pandemic has canceled performances of “The Nutcracker” around the U.S. and Canada, eliminating a major and reliable source of revenue for dance companies already reeling financially following the essential shutdown of their industry.
“This is an incredibly devastating situation for the arts and in particular for organizations like ours that rely on ticket sales from the Nutcracker to fund so many of our initiatives,” said Sue Porter, executive director of BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio.
“The Nutcracker” typically provides about $1.4 million of the company’s $2 million in annual ticket sales, against a $7 million budget. That money goes to school programing and financial aid for dance class students, Porter said. It’s the first year since 1977 that the company isn’t staging the ballet in Ohio’s capital.
The cancellations have meant layoffs, furloughs and salary cuts, with companies relying heavily— sometimes exclusively — on fundraising to stay afloat. Beyond their financial importance, “Nutcracker” performances are also a crucial marketing tool for dance companies, company directors say.
Children often enroll in classes for the chance to dance in the performances as mice, young partygoers and angels, among other supporting roles. For adults, the shows are sometimes their initial experience watching live dance.
“It tends to be the first ballet that people see, the first time they experience attending a production, that thrill when the curtain goes up, the hush of the crowd,” said Max Hodges, executive director of the Boston Ballet. “So for that reason it’s a key part of the pipeline in welcoming audiences into the art form.”
After deciding to cancel this year’s live performances, the Boston Ballet will use archived footage of past performances for a one-hour version to be shown on television in New England. The annual $8 million in “Nutcracker” ticket sales accounts for about 20% of the company’s annual budget.
The pandemic has cost the arts and entertainment industry  about 1.4 million jobs and $42.5 billion nationally, according to an August analysis by the Brookings Institution.
The economic vulnerability inherent in arts organizations is exacerbated when they rely on a major seasonal event — like “The Nutcracker” — for large portions of revenue, said Amir Pasic, dean of the School of Philanthropy at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
One silver lining is the opportunity for organizations to improve their online offerings, which could also help open up markets to younger consumers, he said.
That’s the case in Toronto, where the National Ballet of Canada is contemplating future hybrid programming that offers tickets for in-person “Nutcracker” performances and less expensive tickets for those who want to watch it online. The company canceled its “Nutcracker” in August.
“We’re going to build into our model regular capture of content to build a more robust catalogue,” said Executive Director Barry Hughson. “So when we face this at some point in future — hopefully a long way away in the future — we will have solved that part of this equation.”
The cost of the digital equipment needed to record broadcast quality performances has been a sticking point for companies in the past, said Amy Fitterer, executive director of Dance/USA, a dance service and advocacy organization. Now, companies are working on ways to access such equipment to prepare for a hybrid future of performances, she said.
Other cancellations this year include performances by the New York City Ballet, the Charlotte Ballet, the Milwaukee Ballet, the Sacramento Ballet and the Kansas City Ballet, which is forgoing about $2.2 million in ticket sales.
Making it through this season is tough enough, but “if this goes beyond next year, then I think we’ve got some serious issues to attend to,” said Jeffrey Bentley, the Kansas City Ballet’s executive director.
Some companies that canceled are offering online streams of a past performance, such as Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet. Others are offering in-person performances of a sort, such as Atlanta Ballet’s “Drive-In Movie Experience” allowing patrons to watch a filmed past performance from their car.
Still others are proceeding, for now, with plans for live performances. The Eugene Ballet in Oregon canceled its normal four-state tour but expanded its stage offerings from four to 10 performances, with a socially distanced audience of 500 in a 2,500-seat auditorium. The company is shortening performances to 70 minutes, reducing the number of student participants and going without a live orchestra.
“We’re just all trying to be resilient, and our dancers are champing at the bit to get in the studio and start rehearsing things,” said Eugene Ballet Artistic Director Toni Pimble.
Of the 50 dance companies with the largest annual expenses surveyed by the Dance Data Project, only eight were proceeding with in-person performances. Others either canceled, planned to offer streaming versions or still haven’t made an announcement.
In Fort Worth, the cancellation of the Texas Ballet Theater’s “Nutcracker” meant the loss of about $2 million in ticket sales. It was also a personal blow to 16-year-old Micah Sparrow, who would have danced roles as a rat and a cook, the third time she would have performed in the show.
Sparrow, a longtime Texas Ballet Theater student, hopes to become a professional dancer. For now, she attends ballet classes reduced in scope as social distancing limits normal movement.
“It really gives me a sense of purpose around the Christmas season just to make magic for the audience and for everyone who watches it,” Sparrow said. “I’m really going to miss it.”
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The ongoing conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has triggered an outpouring of support from Los Angeles’s Armenian community, one of the largest in the world.
On October 10, U.S. reality television star Kim Kardashian, who is of Armenian descent, announced she had donated $1 million to the Armenia Fund, which seeks to provide humanitarian relief efforts such as food, shelter, and medical care for those affected by the conflict.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the brave men, women and children. I want everyone to remember that despite the distance that separates us, we are not limited by borders and we are one global Armenian nation together,” Kardashian said in a video message to her followers on Instagram.The reality TV star and business mogul, whose father was a third-generation Armenian-American, has often spoken out about issues affecting Armenia and its people. View this post on InstagramI’m so honored to be part of today’s global effort to support the @armeniafund. I’ve been speaking out about the current situation in Armenia and Artsakh and having conversations with so many others to bring further awareness to the crisis that we cannot allow to advance. My thoughts and prayers are with the brave men, women and children. I want everyone to remember that despite the distance that separates us, we are not limited by borders and we are one global Armenian nation together. The @armeniafund is directly helping those that have been impacted during this critical time with humanitarian aid through food, shelter, and medical care. I will be donating $1M to assist their efforts on the ground and invite you to join me. Whether you are helping with just raising awareness and posting on social media or donating just $1, every bit helps. Let’s make this our most successful fundraiser ever. Thank you so much. 🇦🇲 ❤️💙🧡A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Oct 10, 2020 at 1:01pm PDTHer famous sisters, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian, also took to Instagram to call for joining the pan-Armenian fund-raiser.
The next day, thousands of people protested in Los Angeles in support of Armenians, waving Armenian flags, chanting, and carrying signs.FILE – People take part in a protest by Armenian Youth Federation against what they call Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia and the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region outside the Azerbaijani Consulate General in Los Angeles, California.Meanwhile, the city’s Armenian community has been rallying around calls to support Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, with multiple restaurants offering donation deals and charity initiatives aimed at raising funds.
Southern California is home to the largest Armenian population in the United States; an East Hollywood neighborhood was designated Little Armenia in 2000.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted in support of the protesters, attaching a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from a group of mayors and congressional lawmakers urging the United States to help deescalate tensions in the conflict.
“As proud representatives of Armenian-American communities across our country, we share their deep concerns about the violence being inflicted upon Artsakh, the growing number of civilian casualties, and the involvement of regional actors like Turkey and Iran,” the letter reads.Armenians refer to Nagorno-Karabakh as Artsakh.
“We ask that you lead the effort to bring Armenia and Azerbaijan back to the negotiating table, and persuade Turkey to disengage,” the letter states.
There was no mention of Azerbaijani casualties.
Azerbaijan’s consul-general to the western United States, Nasimi Aghayev, condemned the Los Angeles mayor for ignoring the deaths of civilians in rocket attacks by Armenian forces on Azerbaijani cities.
“Is there no limit to political expediency? No red lines? Should the #politics always be about campaign money & votes?” he wrote, adding a video showing the damage and casualties caused by Armenian attacks on Ganca, Azerbaijan’s second-largest city.@MayorOfLA, how can you stand with the #murderers of innocent #Azerbaijani #civilians, killed ruthlessly by #Armenia in their sleep? Is there no limit to political expediency? No red lines? Should the #politics always be about campaign money & votes? pic.twitter.com/v86ugzTTvK— Nasimi Aghayev 🇦🇿 (@NasimiAghayev) October 12, 2020@MayorOfLA, this line from your letter is very disturbing. #Armenia-#Azerbaijan conflict has nothing to do with #religion. Any attempt to bring religion into it plays into hands of #Islamophobes & must be condemned. Suggest this reading for elucidation: https://t.co/Mf1YZuT9UIpic.twitter.com/5VCyDMUYDB— Nasimi Aghayev 🇦🇿 (@NasimiAghayev) October 12, 2020The protest came as fragile cease-fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan has come under strain as both sides have accused the other of violations, including rocket attacks and shelling of cities.
Hundreds of soldiers and an unknown number of civilians have been killed on both sides since fighting erupted on September 27, in the biggest escalation in the conflict since the shaky 1994 cease-fire.
At one point, a crowd of at least 20,000 people gathered in front of the Turkish Consulate in Beverly Hills to condemn Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan.
The demonstration appeared to be largely peaceful.
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The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 Sunday night to capture the National Basketball Association Championship. LeBron James led the Lakers with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists on his way to being named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. James has now won championships with three different teams, and the Lakers have tied the Boston Celtics with a league record 17 overall titles. Miami pushed the best-of-7 series to six games despite dealing with injuries to some of its key players, including Bam Adebayo, who missed two games.Los Angels Lakers fans celebrate after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the 2020 NBA Finals to win the NBA Championship, Oct. 11, 2020.Sunday night’s contest was in little doubt after Los Angeles built a 64-36 lead at halftime. The Heat battled back in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lakers 35-19, but the late charge was not enough. Los Angeles dedicated its season to former star Kobe Bryant who died in a helicopter crash in January. Players league-wide also endured a four-and-a-half-month layoff due to the coronavirus before returning to play at the end of July.  The NBA successfully employed a bubble strategy of having players live and play at a single site in Florida in order to prevent infections. The start date for the next NBA season, which during a normal year would have begun this month, has not yet been set. 
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During an era when the Yankees won the World Series so routinely it was joked that rooting for them was like rooting for General Motors, their ace pitcher owned the most fitting nickname: “The Chairman of the Board.”Whitey Ford, the street-smart New Yorker who had the best winning percentage of any pitcher in the 20th century and helped the Yankees become baseball’s perennial champions in the 1950s and ’60s, died Thursday night. He was 91.The team said Friday that the Hall of Famer died at his Long Island home in Lake Success, New York, while watching the Yankees in a playoff game. His wife of 69 years, Joan, and family members were with him.Ford had suffered from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease in recent years. His death was the latest this year of a number of baseball greats — Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock and Bob Gibson.On a franchise long defined by power hitters, Ford was considered its greatest starting pitcher. Not big and not overpowering, the wily left-hander played in the majors from 1950 to 1967, all with the Yankees, and teamed with the likes of Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra to win six championships.”If you were a betting man, and if he was out there pitching for you, you’d figure it was your day,” former teammate and World Series MVP Bobby Richardson told The Associated Press on Friday.Machinelike efficiencyFord won 236 games and lost just 106, a winning percentage of .690. He would help symbolize the almost machinelike efficiency of the Yankees in the mid-20th century, when only twice between Ford’s rookie year and 1964 did they fail to make the World Series.Edward Charles Ford was born on the East Side of Manhattan, about 100 blocks south of Yankee Stadium. He was nicknamed “Whitey” while still in the minor leagues, and quickly reached the mound at Yankee Stadium.The World Series record book is crowded with Ford’s accomplishments. His string of 33 consecutive scoreless innings from 1960 to 1962 broke a record of 29 2/3 innings set by Babe Ruth. Ford still holds records for World Series games and starts (22), innings pitched (146), wins (10) and strikeouts (94).Ford was in his mid-20s when he became the go-to guy in manager Casey Stengel’s rotation, the pitcher Stengel said he would always turn to if he absolutely needed to win one game. Ford was Stengel’s choice to pitch World Series openers eight times, another record.FILE – Whitey Ford of the New York Yankees as he pitched a five-hitter against the Chicago White Sox for his 13th victory of the year, July 4, 1963, in the first game of a doubleheader, in New York.Ford’s best seasons came in 1961 and 1963, amid a stretch of five straight American League pennants for the Yankees, when new manager Ralph Houk began using a four-man rotation instead of five. Ford led the league in victories with 25 in 1961, won the Cy Young Award and starred in the World Series. In 1963, he went 24-7, again leading the league in wins. Eight of his victories that season came in June.He also led the AL in earned-run average in 1956 (2.47) and 1958 (2.01) and was an All-Star in eight seasons.Ford was 10-8 with a 2.71 ERA overall in the World Series. His final appearance there came in the 1964 opener when he lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, who went on take the title behind Gibson.Ford was not a power pitcher. Instead he depended on guile and guts, rarely giving hitters the same look on consecutive pitches. He’d throw overhand sometimes, three-quarters other times, mixing curves and sliders in with his fastball and change-up.A few tricksFord would also acknowledge using some special methods to add movement to his pitches, including saliva, mud and dirt and cutting the ball with a ring.”If there are some pitchers doing it and getting away with it, that’s fine by me,” Ford told sportswriter Phil Pepe in 1987. “If it were me and I needed to cheat to be able to throw the good stuff that would keep me in the major leagues at a salary of about $800,000 a year, I’d do whatever I had to do.”After his retirement, Ford briefly worked as a broadcaster and opened a restaurant in Garden City, “Whitey Ford’s Cafe,” that closed within a year.Ford’s death leaves Bobby Brown, who won four Series titles with the Yankees in the 1940s and ’50s, as the last living link to prominent Yankees who played with both DiMaggio and Ford. Brown is 95.  In addition to his wife and son Eddie, Ford is survived by a daughter, Sally Ann; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Ford’s other son, Thomas, died in 1999.
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A new exhibition at the recently reopened National Museum of American History shows the challenges young woman face growing up in the United States. “Girlhood (It’s complicated)” showcases the lives of American girls who advocated for social change and shaped the country’s history. Karina Bafradzhian has the story.
Camera: David Gogokhia, Mike Maisuradze  
 
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“Sesame Street” has always pressed for inclusion. Now in the wake of the national reckoning on race, it’s going further — teaching children to stand up against racism.
Sesame Workshop — the nonprofit, educational organization behind “Sesame Street” — will later this month air the half-hour anti-racist special “The Power of We” and hopes families will watch together.
The special defines racism for younger viewers and shows how it can be hurtful. It urges children who encounter racism or hear someone else be the victim of it to call it out. “When you see something that’s wrong, speak up and say, ‘That’s wrong’ and tell an adult,” 6-year-old Gabrielle the Muppet advises.
The special, composed of little skits and songs in a Zoom-like format, will stream on HBO Max and the PBS 24/7 streaming channel Oct. 15, and air on PBS Kids the same day.
In one animated skit, a Black Muppet is told by a white Muppet that he can’t dress up like a superhero because they’re only white. Though hurt, the Black Muppet nevertheless refuses to stop playing superheroes, saying they can come in all colors. The white Muppet soon apologizes. “Racism hurts and it’s wrong,” is the message.
In the song “How Do You Know?” racism is dealt with head-on. “Hey, Elmo, how would you feel if I said, ‘I don’t like you ’cause I don’t like the color red?'” sings Tamir, a Black, 8-year-old Muppet. Elmo responds: “Elmo wouldn’t care what you said ’cause Elmo is proud, proud to be red!” It concludes with the lines: “Speak up. Say something. Don’t give in.”
“We believe that this moment calls for a direct discussion about racism to help children grasp the issues and teach them that they are never too young to be ‘upstanders’ for themselves, one another, and their communities,” said Kay Wilson Stallings, executive vice president of creative and production at Sesame Workshop, in a statement.
Current and former Sesame Street human cast members Alan, Charlie, Chris and Gordon take part in the special, alongside celebrity guests Yara Shahidi, the star of “grown-ish;” “Hamilton” star Christopher Jackson; and Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day.
Viewers are offered tips to help their communities unite, including chalk drawings, making positive signs and going to sing-a-longs. When outside, all the puppets wear masks, even the letter puppets. The special concludes with the slogan “Listen. Act. Unite.”
Sesame Workshop has included online resources for parents to help guide conversations with their child about race, including talking, singing and breathing together. “Sharing can help us feel better,” is one tip. There are also downloadable pictures to color and a certificate with a place to put the name of an upstander.
“Sesame Street,” which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, has a history of explaining the world to children, tackling everything from foster care to substance abuse. The latest special comes on the heels of “Sesame Street” contributing to “Coming Together: Standing Up To Racism,” a CNN town hall special in June hosted by Van Jones and Erica Hill.
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American poet Louise Glück has won this year’s Nobel Prize in literature.The Swedish Academy praised Glück’s “unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal.”Glück has published 12  poetry collections, and her previous honors include the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.The literature prize is just one of a group given out this week.  Each comes with a $1.1 million cash award.Friday brings the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize.The prize in chemistry was awarded to two scientists for developing a method of gene editing.Three scientists won the physics prize Wednesday for their discoveries related to black holes.  Three scientists also shared the medicine prize for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus.
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Somalia in September saw the opening of what is being touted as the country’s first independent, modern arts institution. The Somali Arts Foundation says it seeks to promote creativity and critical discussions on what it means to be a Somali. Mohamed Sheikh Nor reports from Mogadishu.  
Camera: Mohamed Sheikh Nor   Produced by: Rod James 
 
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A former tech executive was sentenced Monday to one year of home confinement for paying $300,000 to bribe his son’s way into Georgetown University as a tennis recruit, even though the son did not play tennis.
Peter Dameris, of Pacific Palisades, California, appeared before a Boston federal court judge via video because of the coronavirus pandemic. He pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.  
His sentence also included a $95,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 21 months of home confinement along with a fine of $95,000. Dameris’ lawyers asked for probation only, saying he deserved leniency to help care for a son who has leukemia.  
U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns said he took the medical considerations into account in the sentence, along with an “outpouring” of support from friends and family members who submitted letters to the court.
“I really feel for your family, and I understand your anguish,” Stearns told Dameris. “You have lived a good life, and I believe you deserve some reward for that.”
Speaking through tears, Dameris said he regrets his involvement in the scheme and takes full responsibility.
“I am enormously remorseful for the actions that have brought me before you today,” Dameris said. “My life’s sentence is, I am burdened with the memories of what I’ve done that has hurt my family and others.”
Dameris, the former CEO of technology services company ASGN Inc., joins dozens of parents and college coaches who have pleaded guilty in a sweeping nationwide college admissions scandal.
Prosecutors say Dameris agreed in 2015 to funnel the money through a sham charity set up by Rick Singer, the alleged ringleader of the scheme. Singer steered roughly half of the money to Georgetown’s former tennis coach, Gordon Ernst, who helped get Dameris’ son accepted as a tennis recruit, prosecutors say.
In court filings, Dameris apologized for influencing the admissions system but said he believed the money was going to Georgetown’s athletic programs. Prosecutors say there’s no evidence Dameris knew of any personal bribes to Ernst.
Singer pleaded guilty and is cooperating with the government’s investigation into what authorities have dubbed Operation Varsity Blues, a series of indictments that have rocked the worlds of higher education, sports and entertainment.
Ernst, who is accused of accepting $2.7 million in bribes, has pleaded not guilty. He resigned from Georgetown in 2018.
Dameris acknowledged that he later considered the scheme for his other son but did not follow through with it. Neither son was involved, and his son at Georgetown was allowed to stay and graduate.
More than 50 parents, coaches and others have been charged since investigators revealed the scheme last year. The parents paid hefty bribes to get their children into top universities with bogus test scores or fake athletic credentials, authorities say.
Prosecutors have pushed for prison time for most parents accused in the scheme, but they said home confinement was warranted in Dameris’ case because of his “unusual and compelling personal circumstances.”  
Others who have pleaded guilty include “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli. Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison as part of plea a deal, and Giannulli was ordered to five months. The couple admitted to paying half a million dollars in bribes to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as rowing recruits.
“Desperate Housewives” actress Felicity Huffman, also pleaded guilty for paying $15,000 to have someone rig her daughter’s college entrance exam. Huffman was sentenced to two weeks in prison.
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Warner Bros. film studios said it will delay the release of its “Dune” and “The Batman” movies, setting back an entertainment industry already struggling to survive because of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and social distancing measures that have closed theaters worldwide.Two weeks ago, Disney postponed the release of “Black Widow” and a couple other films to 2021 drawing varied responses from fans across the U.S. on social media.This fresh announcement comes after Cineworld Group, the world’s second-biggest movie theater chain, said it would close its British and U.S. theaters, blaming the reluctance of studios to go ahead with major releases for the decision.AMC Entertainment, the world’s No.1 chain, said on Tuesday that most of its theaters in the United States and Europe would remain open as it looks forward to screening a number of upcoming releases, including this weekend’s new films “The War With Grandpa,” starring Robert De Niro, and “Yellow Rose.”Warner Bros. said late Monday that its sci-fi pic “Dune,” directed by Canadian Dennis Villeneuve, is now scheduled to open in October 2021, instead of December. The release of “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson, has been moved to the spring of 2022 from October of next year.Earlier, the filming of “The Batman” was shut down for two weeks after a member of the production staff tested positive for the new coronavirus. Filming resumed in Britain last month and Warner Bros. never confirmed or denied reports of Pattinson’s diagnosis.The studio also pushed back its “Matrix” sequel to Dec. 2021.Now, only a few big films are still set to open in 2020: Pixar’s “Soul,” on Nov. 20, Universal’s “The Croods: A New Age,” on Nov. 25, Disney’s “Death on the Nile,” on Dec. 18 and Warner Bros.’ “Wonder Woman 1984,” at Christmas. 
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Legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who co-founded the influential rock band Van Halen, died Tuesday after a long battle with cancer at the age of 65. “I can’t believe I’m having to write this but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning,” his son Wolfgang Van Halen said Tuesday on Twitter. “He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift.” Wolfgang Van Halen toured as the bass player in recent years in Van Halen, a band known for songs such as “Panama,” “Jump,” and “Ain’t Talking About Love.”  FILE – Eddie Van Halen and Wolfgang Van Halen attend a press conference announcing the dates of “Van Halen’s” North American concert tour, Aug. 13, 2007.Eddie Van Halen also played guitar on pop star Michael Jackson’s mega hit song “Beat It.” The Dutch-born Eddie Van Halen and his brother Alex, a drummer, founded Van Halen in the early 1970s. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1978. It featured the blistering instrumental “Eruption” which highlighted Eddie Van Halen’s use of two-handed tapping, and the band’s cover of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.”   Van Halen went on to become one of the best-selling rock bands of all-time, led by the self-taught guitarist who revolutionized the instrument with his memorable guitar riffs, solos and use of harmonics. The band’s original lineup featured singer David Lee Roth and bass player Michael Anthony.  They recorded several successful albums together including the multi-platinum “1984.”  FILE – David Lee Roth, left, and Eddie Van Halen perform during U.S. Festival in Devore, Calif., May 29, 1983.After that record, the band parted ways with their lead singer and brought in Sammy Hagar.  They also toured with singer Gary Cherone before reuniting with Roth and playing shows across the country in 2012 and 2015, with a lineup that featured 3 original Van Halen members as well as Eddie’s son, Wolfgang.  Eddie Van Halen struggled with alcoholism but had been sober since 2008. He lost one-third of his tongue to cancer that eventually spread to his esophagus. Reaction from musicians Van Halen’s death prompted an outpouring of tributes from fellow musicians on social media. Lenny Kravitz said “Legendary guitar and musical innovator Edward Van Halen. 1955-2020. Heaven will be electric tonight.” Legendary guitar and musical innovator Edward Van Halen. 1955-2020. Heaven will be electric tonight. pic.twitter.com/hdLd7atI74— Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) October 6, 2020Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx said “RIP Eddie Van Halen. You changed our world. You were the Mozart of rock guitar. Travel safe rockstar.” Country artist Kenny Chesney said, “I am devastated at the news of the passing of my friend Eddie Van Halen.” I am devastated at the news of the passing of my friend Eddie Van Halen. pic.twitter.com/hUyIdKXsdG— Kenny Chesney (@kennychesney) October 6, 2020Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist Flea said, “I love you Eddie Van Halen, an LA boy, a true rocker. I hope you jam with Jimi (Hendrix) tonight. Break through to the other side my brother.”Oh man, bless his beautiful creative heart. I love you Eddie Van Halen, an LA boy, a true rocker. I hope you jam with Jimi tonight. Break through to the other side my brother. ❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/XpcTlPJq9A— Flea (@flea333) October 6, 2020 
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British rock band Led Zeppelin on Monday effectively won a long-running legal battle over claims it stole the opening guitar riff from its signature 1971 song Stairway to Heaven. The band, one of the best-selling rock acts of all time, was handed victory after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case, meaning that a March 2020 decision by a U.S. appeals court in Led Zeppelin’s favor will stand. Lead singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page had been accused in the six-year-long case of lifting the riff — one of the best-known openings in rock music — from a song called “Taurus,” written by the late Randy Wolfe of the U.S. band, Spirit. Wolfe, who performed as Randy California, drowned in 1997, and the case was brought by a trustee for his estate. It has been one of the music industry’s most closely watched copyright cases, potentially exposing Plant and Page to millions of dollars in damages. Led Zeppelin was the opening act for Spirit on a U.S. tour in 1968, but Page testified in a 2016 jury trial in Los Angeles that he had not heard Taurus until recently. The Los Angeles jury found the riff they were accused of stealing was not intrinsically similar to the opening chords of Stairway to Heaven. Francis Malofiy, who represented Wolfe’s estate, said on Monday that Led Zeppelin “won on a technicality” and said that the lawsuit had accomplished its goal. “Today, the world knows that 1. Randy California wrote the introduction to Stairway to Heaven; 2. Led Zeppelin are the greatest art thieves of all time; and 3. Courts are as imperfect as rock stars,” Malofiy said in a statement. Led Zeppelin has yet to comment on the conclusion of the case. 
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The new horror film “Antebellum,” by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, is the latest of several Black horror films addressing race relations in the United States. Filmmakers and critics weigh in on the film and on what defines the Black horror genre. VOA’s Penelope Poulou has more.   
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Kenya hosted (Oct 3-4) its first social-distance culture and music event where people enjoyed live bands while they could sit in their vehicles so there is less risk of spreading COVID-19.  The Kikwetu festival aims to bring Kenyans together, despite the pandemic, to celebrate the country’s cultural diversity.  Mohammed Yusuf reports from Nairobi
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Kenzo Takada, the iconic Franco-Japanese fashion designer famed for his jungle-infused designs and free-spirited aesthetic that channeled global travel, has died. He was 81.The family said in a statement to French media Sunday that Takada died from complications from COVID-19 in a hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris. A public relations officer for Kenzo’s brand confirmed that Takada died, but didn’t give a cause of death.”It is with immense sadness that KENZO has learned of the passing of our founder,” the fashion house said in a statement. “For half a century, Mr. Takada has been an emblematic personality in the fashion industry — always infusing creativity and color into the world.”Though Takada had been retired from his house since 1999 to pursue a career in art, Kenzo remains one of the most respected fixtures of the high Paris fashion. Since 1993, the brand Kenzo has been owned owned by the French luxury goods company LVMH. The current designer and artistic director, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, unveiled Kenzo’s spring-summer 2020 to fashion editors on Wednesday.”His amazing energy, kindness, talent and smile were contagious,” Oliveira Baptista said. “His kindred spirit will live forever.”Kenzo’s styles used bold color, clashing prints and were inspired by travels all over the world.”Kenzo Takada has, from the 1970s, infused into fashion a tone of poetic lightness and sweet freedom which inspired many designers after him,” said Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH.Takada was born on Feb. 27, 1939, in Himeji, in the Hyogo Prefecture in Japan to hoteliers, but after reading his sisters’ fashion magazines his love of fashion began.Studying at the Bunka College of Fashion in Tokyo, Kenzo Takada had a brief stint working in Japan, before relocating to Paris in 1965, to work as a freelance designer.In Paris, he took over a boutique in 1970 which served crystallized his future ready-to-wear aesthetic, and was inspired in its decoration by the jungle scenes of painter Henri Rousseau, which he merged with Asian styles. It became influential.  But it was lowly beginnings: Takada’s first collection at the store called was made entirely out of cotton because he had little money. But the clothes spoke for themselves and a model of his was put on the cover of Elle magazine. A short time after, pioneering shoulder forms, large armholes, dungarees, smock tent dresses, innovative shoulder shapes, and his store was featured in US Vogue. Kenzo showed collections in New York and Tokyo in 1971.Yves Saint Laurent was an important inspiration, in his work, Takada has said. Takada shared Saint Laurent’s penchant for theatrics. in 1978 and 1979, he showed in a circus tent, and it featured himself riding an elephant, and performers rode horses wearing see-through uniforms.Takada’s love of travel and use of ethnic influences were strong features in his three decades atop his house.His contribution to style was significant. He championed a youthful aesthetic and unstructured form, and did away with zippers to liberate silhouettes. His signatures were of wider sleeves and arm holes, that harked to historic styles in his home continent of Asia. 
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Leaders and activists warned Thursday of a global pushback against women’s rights, 25 years after a landmark conference in Beijing that set out an ambitious agenda for women’s equality.“We need to start now, with your excellencies’ commitments at this commemoration, to recapture and ‘fast forward’ from the modest gains made since 1995 that are now under threat,” Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive director of U.N. Women, told leaders joining the virtual conference. “We need big bold steps, not incremental ones.”She said that while the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action had led to major advances — including 274 legal and regulatory reforms in 131 countries — significant gaps remained, including in achieving gender parity in representation from the boardroom to the peace table, as well as in wages.“It’s time to bring an end to discriminatory laws, norms and homophobia, to end men’s violence against women and girls, and make a concerted effort to put women at the heart of climate justice,” she added.Twenty-five years after the Beijing conference, advocates noted that no country has achieved full gender equality.In 1995, when the declaration was signed in Beijing, there were 12 female heads of state of government. Today, there are only 22 among 193 countries.German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Aug. 19, 2020.“These days, the very states that are successful, economically and socially, as well as in terms of peaceful conflict resolution, are often those where women are among those shouldering responsibility,” said one of those leaders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel.President Emmanuel Macron of France lamented that in the current global climate, the 1995 Beijing Declaration would not find the consensus to be adopted in 2020.“That is where we are collectively,” he said. “Everywhere, women’s rights are under attack, as are human rights, from which they are inseparable. Progress achieved by great efforts is being undermined even in our democracies, starting with the freedom for women to control their own bodies, and in particular, the right to abortion.”French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during the closing press conference at the G5 Sahel summit on June 30, 2020, in Nouakchott.Data from the U.N. Population Fund show that only 55% of women worldwide are able to make their own decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and contraception.Women and girls also face inequalities in access to education. Twelve million girls under age 18 see their education end each year with forced marriage. Others are subjected to the harmful practice of female genital mutilation. One in three women will experience some form of violence in her lifetime.Women also have been particularly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.Ethiopia’s first female President Sahle-Work Zewde delivers a speech at the Parliament in Addis Ababa, Oct. 25, 2018.“While women are in the front lines fighting against this pandemic, they are also being pushed to the edges because of its multifaceted impacts,” said Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde. “In much of the developing world, we know women depend on the informal economy to earn their living, and they find themselves in extremely difficult condition to sustain the lives and well-being of their families.”The pandemic has also made women and girls more vulnerable to domestic violence. U.N. Women says only 48 countries treat violence against women and girls-related services as integral parts of their national and local COVID-19 response plans, with very few adequately funding these measures.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during an interview with Reuters at U.N. headquarters in New York City, Sept. 14, 2020.“Unless we act now, COVID-19 could wipe out a generation of fragile progress toward gender equality,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned. “COVID-19 is a catastrophe, but it is also an opportunity for transformative thinking that puts women front and center of the response and the recovery.”Participants called for a recommitment to the Beijing Declaration’s principles, and the necessary policy changes, partnerships and investments to realize the goals.
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Chrissy Teigen said she and John Legend are in “deep pain” following her miscarriage, which she announced in a heart wrenching social media post.
Teigen wrote that they were “driving home from the hospital with no baby. This is unreal.”
“We are shocked and in the kind of deep pain you only hear about, the kind of pain we’ve never felt before. We were never able to stop the bleeding and give our baby the fluids he needed, despite bags and bags of blood transfusions. It just wasn’t enough,” she wrote in a post late Wednesday, alongside a picture of herself in tears on a hospital bed. Another image showed her and Legend grieving together over a bundle cradled in her arms.
Revealing they had chosen the name Jack, the model and the musician wrote of their love for their lost son, who would have been their third child.
“To our Jack – I’m so sorry that the first few moments of your life were met with so many complications, that we couldn’t give you the home you needed to survive. We will always love you,” she wrote.
Legend retweeted her post, adding “We love you, Jack.”
Teigen announced she was pregnant with her third child in August. She had been been hospitalized with excessive bleeding earlier in the week.
Thanking those who have been sending “positive energy, thoughts and prayers,” Teigen concluded, “We are so grateful for the life we have, for our wonderful babies Luna and Miles, for all the amazing things we’ve been able to experience. But everyday can’t be full of sunshine. On this darkest of days, we will grieve, we will cry our eyes out. But we will hug and love each other harder and get through it.”
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Is dislodging African artwork from a European museum a political statement, or a criminal act? That’s the question a French court weighed Wednesday in an emotionally charged trial centered around a Congolese activist campaigning to take back art he says was plundered by colonizers.
“It belongs to us!” shouted a Black woman watching the trial, breaking down in tears and storming out after a lawyer for Paris’ Quai Branly Museum insisted that its holdings — including tens of thousands of artworks from former colonies — belong to the French state.
Congo-born Emery Mwazulu Diyabanza and four other activists went on trial on attempted theft charges for removing a 19th century African funeral pole from its perch in the museum in a June protest livestreamed on Facebook. Guards quickly stopped them; the activists argue that they never planned to steal the work but just wanted to call attention to its origins.
Lurking beneath nearly every exchange in the courtroom was the question of whether and how former empires should atone for colonial-era wrongs. The question took on new urgency after this year’s global protests against racial injustice unleashed by George Floyd’s death in the U.S. at the knee of a white policeman.
Diyabanza seized on that mood and has staged three livestreamed museum protests  in recent months — in Paris, Marseille and the Netherlands.
French officials denounced the Quai Branly incident, saying it threatens ongoing negotiations with African countries launched by President Emmanuel Macron in 2018 for legal, organized restitution efforts.
If convicted of attempted group theft of a historical object, Diyabanza could face up to 10 years in prison and a 150,000 euro fine ($173,000). However, the lawyer for the French state did not ask for prison time, demanding only modest fines. A verdict is scheduled Oct. 14.
Diyabanza defended what he called a “political act” and said it’s about time that Africans, Latin Americans and other colonized communities take back ill-gotten treasures. He accuses European museums of making millions on artworks taken from now-impoverished countries like Congo, and said the pole, which came from current-day Chad, should be among works returned to Africa.
“We are the legitimate heirs of these works,” he said. But he insisted that “appropriation wasn’t my goal. … The aim was to mark the symbolism of the liberation of these works.”
The presiding judge asked the activists why they thought they had the right to take the law into their own hands. He insisted that the trial should focus on the specific funeral pole incident and that his court wasn’t competent to judge France’s colonial era as a whole.
Quai Branly lawyer Yvon Goutal argued that because of the discussions underway between France and African governments, “there is no need for this political act.” The French state “is very committed to this, and serious” about following through, he said. The prosecutor said the activists should have made their point via more peaceful means.
Defense lawyer Hakim Chergui argued that it shouldn’t have taken this many decades after African countries’ independence to settle the issue. He choked up when talking about the skulls of Algerian 19th century resistance fighters long held as trophies in a French museum and returned to his native Algeria this year.
“There is a frustration in the population that is growing, growing, growing,” he said, calling Wednesday’s proceedings “a trial of the colonial continuum.”
Applause and boos periodically interrupted the proceedings. A crowd of supporters shouted in anger at not being able to enter the small, socially distanced courtroom, and judges sent Diyabanza to calm them down.
The Quai Branly Museum, on the banks of the Seine River near the Eiffel Tower, was built under former French President Jacques Chirac to showcase non-European art, notably from ex-French colonies.
A 2018 study commissioned by Macron recommended that French museums give back works that were taken without consent, if African countries request them. So far, France is preparing to give back 26 works of African art — out of some 90,000 works believed held in French museums, most in the Quai Branly.
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