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☆ Dolly Parton says turning to rock was 'one of the most fun things I've done'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] American singer Dolly Parton poses on stage during a press conference to launch her new album, in London, Britain, June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Anna GordonLONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - Country music star Dolly Parton says her first rock album "Rockstar" is some of her best, as well as most fun, work she has ever done. "I’ve lived my whole life mainly in country music and I love it," Parton told a news conference in London on Thursday. “I enjoy getting to do something besides my own songs or just country songs. "Rockstar" also features collaborations with Lizzo, Stevie Nicks, Kid Rock, Simon Le Bon, P!nk, Debbie Harry and Joan Jett among other well-known music names.

Persons: Dolly Parton, Anna Gordon LONDON, Parton, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Sting, Miley Cyrus, I’ve, ”, “, ” Parton, Lizzo, Stevie Nicks, Kid Rock, Simon Le Bon, Debbie Harry, Joan Jett, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Roll Hall of Fame, Broadway, nk, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

[1/5] Actors sing during a performance of To The Ocean being performed at The Greenhouse, a zero waste pop up theatre in Canary Wharf, London, Britain June 19, 2023. The Greenhouse Theatre, billed as Britain's first zero waste theatre, is staging plays in London over the summer months when long, light evenings reduce the need for electricity. Over the five years since the Gift Horse Theatre was set up as environmentally-conscious theatre, Lury senses actors and audiences have become more willing to confront the climate issue. Other industry observers say building an entire theatre from re-used materials, although exceptional, is aligned with a trend that gathered momentum in lockdown. The Theatre Green Book's co-founder architect Patrick Dillon said it has been adopted across the world and is being translated into 11 languages.

Persons: Anna Gordon LONDON, Oli Savage, Signe Lury, Green Book's, Patrick Dillon, Barbara Lewis, Sarah Mills, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Theatre, Research, Indigo, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain

☆ Malta, Land of Knights, Sailors and Rainbow Flags
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Alexander Lobrano | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Knowing nothing about Maltese food, I assumed it would be a variation on the fare of nearby Sicily. “Our food is a reflection of all of the peoples who ruled us,” he said, explaining that Malta has one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cuisines. Baroque masterworks and neon-lit nightlifeMalta is only 122 square miles, so 72 hours had seemed like an adequate amount of time to explore. I decided to check out the main island first, and then Valletta itself after that. The delightful Anna Grech Sant, a local guide, offered an abbreviated but fascinating lesson in Maltese history, richly seasoned with memorable trivia.

Persons: ruddy, bouillon, Brincat, ”, Anna Grech Sant Organizations: British Navy Locations: Sicily, Malta, Libya, India, Northern Europe, Bolognese, Gozo, Valletta

☆ New V&A show 'DIVA' salutes and studies top stars
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Elton John's 50th birthday costumes are seen on display at DIVA, an exhibition celebrating the power and creativity of iconic performers, at the Victoria and Albert Museum, in London, Britain June 19, 2023. Titled "DIVA", the exhibition features some 60 costumes and 250 items from screen sirens and stage stars from the 19th century to today, many displayed for the first time. "Some of this goes all the way back to the turn of the century, 1900, you know opera singers, silent film stars. It uses the objects to recount the creation of the diva, delving into personal stories and looking at performers' activism and sway on social issues, including equality and civil rights. "The diva has a strong sense of self, an attitude and knowing... how to use their voice," lead curator Kate Bailey said.

Persons: Elton John's, Anna Gordon LONDON, Victoria, Marilyn Monroe, Maria Callas, Franco Zeffirelli's, Bob Mackie's, Tina Turner, Cher, Elton John's Louis XIV, Janelle Monae's, Mackie, Kate Bailey, Hanna Rantala, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Victoria, Albert Museum, REUTERS, Royal Opera House, nk, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ US FCC proposes to force cable TV operators to disclose full pricing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The plan would require providers to disclose the total cost of video programming service - including broadcast retransmission consent, regional sports programming and other programming-related fees - as a prominent single line item on bills and in promotional materials. Major cable TV companies include Comcast Corp (CCZ.N), Cox Communications, Charter Communications (CHTR.O) and others. NCTA-The Internet & Television Association, an industry group representing the major cable TV companies, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ACA Connects, which represents smaller video providers, said its members "are committed to transparency in their sales and billing practices." The rules require broadband providers to display, at the time of sale, labels that show prices, speeds, fees and data allowances.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Jessica Rosenworcel, Anna Gomez, David Shepardson, Will Dunham, Chris Reese Organizations: U.S . Federal Communications Commission, Comcast Corp, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, Dish Network, Democratic, FCC, & Television Association, Democrats, Senate Republicans, Thomson

☆ London's solar street thrives on people power
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Natalie Thomas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Roofers install solar panels on the roof of renegade artists Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell's house in London, Britain, June 6, 2023. Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell raise funds to install solar panels on the rooftops of all the houses on their street. After raising 113,000 pounds ($141,000), partly through crowd-funding publicised by sleeping on their roof for three cold, winter weeks, artist couple Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell have arranged for solar panels to be installed on dozens of houses on their street. Households powered by solar panel-derived electricity draw less power from the national grid, cutting energy bills, and they can also sell any excess energy back. Industry analysts say community projects tend to be more efficient than individual solar installations as costs fall with scale.

Persons: Dan Edelstyn, Hilary Powell's, Hilary Powell, Anna Gordon LONDON, Powell, Ejaz Hussein, It's, Rebecca Dibb, Ofgem, Edelstyn, Sachin Ravikumar, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Industry, Octopus Energy, Community Energy, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Waltham Forest

☆ Ex-comic sets sights on Ukraine reconstruction after helping fund war effort
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Now the comedian-turned-politician's charitable foundation is setting its sights on the next big battle: post-war reconstruction. Prytula, 41, led a campaign to acquire Turkish Bayraktar drones after Russia's full-scale invasion in February last year. The foundation also raised about $9.5 million for attack drones, which he said were ordered by Kyiv's military intelligence. After the war, Prytula wants to apply his crowdfunding acumen to help rebuild war-damaged parts of Ukraine. "All of this will need to be rebuilt, and after the war we'll begin measuring everything we've lost."

Persons: Serhiy Prytula, Mariia, Oleksandr, Prytula, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Anna Gvozdiar, Gvozdiar, isn't, we've, Ivan Lyubysh, Timothy Heritage, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Reuters, Foundation, Bank, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, KYIV, Turkish, Finnish, Crimea, Sumy

☆ Where to go this summer: A dozen destination ideas
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Marnie Hunter | Jane Levere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Peru"Peruvians are welcoming travelers back with open arms," says travel one travel expert. And perhaps most importantly, the city offers excellent value, in part because it will be the winter/low season there during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. It’s home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including megalithic temples that date to the 4th millennium BC. Although summer is the rainy season, Gellis says showers are often brief and intermittent. AlbaniaAlbania is a Mediterranean gem that’s likely to be less crowded this summer than Greece and Croatia, says Joao Donadel, another EMBARK Beyond travel advisor.

☆ Biden nominates telecom attorney Anna Gomez to FCC after more than two years of deadlock
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

President Joe Biden nominated telecom attorney Anna Gomez to the Federal Communications Commission, his second attempt to fill an empty seat on the typically five-member panel that has left the agency in a 2-2 deadlock for his entire presidency thus far. Gomez has previously worked for the FCC in several positions over 12 years, the White House said. Jonathan Spalter, president and CEO of USTelecom, a trade group that represents broadband providers like AT&T and Verizon , congratulated Gomez in a statement. Free Press, a nonprofit advocacy group that supports net neutrality, said Gomez's nomination was long overdue. González called Gomez "eminently qualified" for the role and praised the nomination of a Latinx candidate to the position.

☆ Comedy Is in Their (Identical) DNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Anna Grace Lee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For middle and high school, the twins attended magnet arts schools. “We had no sports teams, but we did have drugs!” Annabel said, with a jazzy emphasis. “But we were theater majors,” Sabina chimed in, walking the story back a bit. They have differing accounts of high school: Sabina says Annabel was “Miss Popular.” Annabel denies this. Sabina was a Tumblr girl who wore creepers and big T-shirts from the men’s section of Urban Outfitters.

☆ This Week’s Tiniest Social Media Drama Is About Olive Oil
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Madison Malone Kircher | Anna Grace Lee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There was drama this week in the olive oil business — and it unfolded on LinkedIn, the online haven of start-up feuds, oversharing and self-mythologizing odes to #founder culture. An angry post by the olive oil entrepreneur Andrew Benin caused a stir in a small corner of the internet food world, in part because it raised a slippery question: Who owns the squeeze bottle? Mr. Benin is the chief executive and co-founder of Graza, a direct-to-consumer start-up launched in 2022 that sells olive oil in squeezable, forest-green plastic bottles designed for optimal drizzling and Instagramming. Whole Foods sells it, Bon Appétit gave it a rave, and Food & Wine magazine called it a “cool kid olive oil.” As The Wall Street Journal noted this year, Graza struck a “sweet spot” in the market with its two extra-virgin olive oil bottles, the Drizzle ($20) and the Sizzle ($15). That gesture, along with posts on Graza’s blog (the “Glog,” as the company calls it), painted a picture of an enthusiastic founder.

☆ Rare outing for six Shakespeare’s First Folio copies in London
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 24 (Reuters) - Six highly rare first edition collections of William Shakespeare’s plays will go on show in London next week in what auction house Christie's says will be the largest display of the works in Britain. The exhibition, which marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio in 1623, runs in Christie's London showroom from May 2 until May 26. [1/6] William Shakespeare's First Folio on display at Christies in London, April 24, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Gordon 1 2 3 4 5"We don't know exactly how many copies were published, but the most likely guesstimate is 750 copies, and 235 copies survive in some form. "It's the only time that the public can see six copies of the First Folio together exhibited," Ford said.

WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - British pop star Elton John urged U.S. senators on Wednesday not to ease up on the fight against HIV and AIDS, as Congress faces a September deadline for reauthorizing the multi-billion-dollar U.S. program to fight the disease. Congress must reauthorize PEPFAR for another five years before Sept. 30. REUTERS/Anna GordonA set amount has not been set for the reauthorization, but Congress typically has approved $6.5 billion to $6.9 billion for PEPFAR each year. Global AIDS Coordinator John Nkengasong told the committee PEPFAR has saved 25 million lives and created health networks that have helped fight outbreaks of Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic. "I urge my colleagues to join me in working to reauthorize PEPFAR without delay and without new mandates and directives," said Senator Jim Risch, the panel's top Republican.

Just 14% say they have a great deal or "quite a lot" of confidence in the criminal justice system, half the level of a decade ago. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case is the first of several involving Trump as the country braces for a 2024 presidential election in which Trump is the leading Republican candidate. Trump himself has over the years complained that law enforcement was targeting him for political purposes, and his rhetoric has heightened since the New York case surfaced. On Wednesday, Trump called on his fellow Republicans in Congress to slash funding for the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI. "It's obvious the criminal legal system can punch down - it's proven that, and oppressively so," Ali said.

On Friday, Trump, who was not charged in his company's case, lashed out at Merchan on his Truth Social platform. "The Judge 'assigned' to my Witch Hunt Case, a 'Case' that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME," wrote Trump, who has launched a campaign to regain the presidency in 2024. Merchan has been a Manhattan criminal court judge since 2009 after prior stints on the state's Court of Claims, which hears cases against the state and its agencies, and family court in the Bronx. Merchan presided over the 2012 case of the so-called "Soccer Mom Madam" Anna Gristina, which garnered lurid headlines in the New York media. Gristina sued Merchan in 2021 to unseal records in her case as part of an effort to vacate her record.

☆ Newsletters are helping these companies save money and bring a personal touch into their marketing strategies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Erica Sweeney | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Small-business owners say email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach an audience. These growing companies share how they saved money and were able to make more personal connections through email marketing. According to eMarketer, 67% of marketing professionals are investing in email marketing, and 48% of millennial consumers prefer to receive deals from brands via email. It gives businesses a direct pipeline to their audienceCollecting customer information is one of the most valuable aspects of email marketing, McNair said. "If you're not doing email marketing, you're leaving really important money on the table."

☆ Meet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal case
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal case is Juan Merchan. "The Judge 'assigned' to my Witch Hunt Case, a 'Case' that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME," Trump said. Trump is scheduled to appear before Merchan in Manhattan court on Tuesday afternoon. In 2009, he was appointed as a trial judge in Manhattan, where he's been since. The top court in the state — the equivalent of the US Supreme Court — is known as the New York Court of Appeals.

☆ Google's AI teams are experiencing a brain drain. Here's where its top researchers are now.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Thomas Maxwell | Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Top AI researchers have been leaving for startups where their work can have more impact. That frustration over Google's slow movement has been corroborated by other former Google researchers who spoke to Insider. Niki Parmar left Google Brain after five years to serve as a co-founder and CTO of Adept, though like Vaswani she recently left for a stealth startup. Lukasz Kaiser left Google Brain after over seven years to join OpenAI in 2021. Sharan Narang, another contributor to the T5 paper, left Google Brain in 2022 after four years.

☆ Women's NCAA roundup: No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast upsets No. 5 Washington State
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

5 seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, this time handing Pac-12 champs Washington State a 74-63 defeat in Villanova, Pa., on Saturday. Tishara Morehouse chipped in 16 points for the Eagles. The Cougars (23-11) were the Eagles' victims this time, as 16 points and 12 rebounds from Tara Wallack wasn't enough to propel Washington State to its fifth straight win. Here are more results from the first half of Saturday's action in the women's NCAA Tournament. It was the first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance for Saint Louis, which won the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

☆ U.S. bank woes no threat to Swedish financial system, watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OSLO, March 13 (Reuters) - The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and some other U.S. banks is unlikely to impact Sweden's financial stability, Sweden's financial watchdog said on Monday. While the U.S. banking market was hit by a degree of turbulence, Swedish banks are regulated more tightly to ensure liquidity buffers are in place and balance sheets are protected, it added. "Our assessment is however that the stability of the Swedish financial system is not affected by this," acting FI Director-General Susanna Grufman said. Pensions group Alecta has around 12 billion Swedish crowns ($1.12 billion) in investments in Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank (SBNY.O), news agency TT reported. "Up to now we do not see any spread of the effects into the Swedish financial system," Wykman told Reuters.

☆ Regional bank stock plunge creating key entry point for investors, top analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Anna Gleason | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The dramatic drop in regional bank stocks is a key entry point for investors, according to analyst Christopher Marinac. The SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF dropped by more than 12% on Monday after regulators shuttered Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. When asked which regional banks look most attractive, Marinac recommends Fifth Third Bank . Marinac also named Truist as a top sector pick, saying the company has a competitive advantage among regional banks after selling a portion of its insurance unit. Truist stock has dropped 30% over the past five sessions.

☆ Investors have tough choices now with yields for money market funds on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Anna Gleason | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The " Fast Money " traders are looking to capitalize on the rising yields in money market funds and dividend-paying stocks. The largest taxable money market funds, as ranked on Crane Data's 100 list, are yielding an average 4.18% as of Feb. 2 — returns not seen since the financial crisis. Money market funds jumped to an all-time record $4.82 trillion in total assets the week ended Feb. 1, according to the Investment Company Institute. Higher-return dividend payers, which carry more risk, may be an option for investors looking for safety right now, too. "I won't hold it against them, however, if they do have a great dividend," Finerman added.

☆ German green-light for Leopard tanks is 'secondary' issue, Poland says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Poland is pushing for countries who have Leopards to send them to Ukraine, even if Germany does not want to join them. Even if we did not get this approval ... we would still transfer our tanks together with others to Ukraine", Morawiecki told reporters. Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki arrives for a European Union leaders' summit in Brussels, Belgium December 15, 2022. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Sunday that Berlin would not stand in the way if Poland sent its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. However, a German government spokesperson said on Monday that Berlin had still not received any requests to authorise the re-export of the tanks.

Police shot and killed an attacker in a gun battle after he shot a person inside an Indiana Walmart on Thursday, an Evansville police spokesperson said. The victim, who was shot at the Walmart in Evansville in southern Indiana just before 10 p.m., was alive when officers arrived. Walmart said it would be supporting its employees in the wake of the shooting, and it thanked first responders. Police said the call about a shooting at the store came in at 9:59 p.m. local time (10:59 p.m. Evansville is a city of around 117,000 in southern Indiana, near the border with Kentucky.

☆ The world's oceans are key to slowing the climate crisis, and this year is critical to guaranteeing their longevity
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Freya Graham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But oceans are an important carbon sink — some more effective than rainforests. Leaders at Davos said the role of the ocean in combating climate change has been underestimated. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. Understanding 'blue carbon'Plants and trees that grow in coastal waters, such as mangroves, kelp, and seagrass, are all forms of "blue carbon," which means they absorb and store carbon. The Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed at COP15 in Montreal in December 2022, was a big step forward for oceans.

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