Arts & Entertainment | 89.3 KPCC https://www.scpr.org/arts The latest Arts & Entertainment news from KPCC's award-winning news team. Bill Cosby Urges Howard University To Support Phylicia Rashad's Freedom Of Speech https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/07/05/98377/bill-cosby-urges-howard-university-to-support-phyl/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/07/05/98377/bill-cosby-urges-howard-university-to-support-phyl/ Elizabeth Blair | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/723fa0344cf1317869e1174471f80375/234150-small.jpg" width="4030" height="3018" alt="Bill Cosby gestures outside his home in Elkins Park, Pa., on June 30, 2021, after being released from prison when the Pennsylvania's supreme court overturned his sexual assault conviction. Cosby expressed support for former TV co-star Phylicia Rashad's freedom of speech after she defended him in a tweet." /> <p><i>Bill Cosby gestures outside his home in Elkins Park, Pa., on June 30, 2021, after being released from prison when the Pennsylvania's supreme court overturned his sexual assault conviction. Cosby expressed support for former TV co-star Phylicia Rashad's freedom of speech after she defended him in a tweet.; Credit: Matt Rourke/AP</i></p> <p><address>Elizabeth Blair | NPR</address></p><p>Bill Cosby called on Howard University to support former co-star Phylicia Rashad's freedom of speech after she expressed support for him when his sexual assault conviction was overturned.</p> <p>In a statement, Cosby also lashed out at the media, comparing journalists to the rioters who stormed the Capitol in January.</p> <p>"Howard University you must support ones Freedom of Speech (Ms. Rashad), which is taught or suppose to be taught everyday at that renowned law school, which resides on your campus," Cosby said in a statement provided to NPR by his spokesman Andrew Wyatt.</p> <p>"This mainstream media has become the Insurrectionists, who stormed the Capitol," Cosby continued in his statement. "Those same Media Insurrectionists are trying to demolish the Constitution of these United State of America on this Independence Day."</p> <p>Cosby concluded by saying, "WE THE PEOPLE STAND IN SUPPORT OF MS. PHYLICIA RASHAD" in all caps.</p> <p>Cosby's support of Rashad comes after the actress, who played his TV wife in <em>The Cosby Show, </em>defended the comedian in a tweet. Cosby was <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/30/1011799764/bill-cosbys-conviction-for-sexual-assault-is-overturned-by-a-pennsylvania-court">released</a> from prison last week when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court vacated his sexual assault conviction on the grounds that his due process rights were violated. </p> <p>"FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!" Rashad said last week.</p> <p>The tweet has since been removed and Rashad later backpedaled, <a href="https://twitter.com/PhyliciaRashad/status/1410336268995776518?s=20">writing</a> that she "fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward." She also sent a letter of apology to Howard students </p> <p>Many Howard alumni had <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/30/1011859393/bill-cosbys-release-could-have-a-silencing-effect-on-victims-advocates-say">expressed</a> disappointment at the remarks. Howard University responded with its own <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardU/status/1410429657455988737?s=20">tweet</a>, stating that Dean Rashad's "initial tweet lacked sensitivity towards survivors of sexual assault."</p> <p>Rashad was <a href="https://www.npr.org/local/305/2021/05/13/996521045/howard-university-names-actor-phylicia-rashad-as-college-of-fine-arts-dean?utm_source=npr_newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=20210514&amp;utm_term=5386386&amp;utm_campaign=news&amp;utm_id=2018064&amp;orgid=305&amp;utm_att1=">recently</a> named Dean of Howard University's Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts. </p> <p>Rashad, an acclaimed stage and screen artist, graduated from Howard magna cum laude in 1970 with a bachelor's in fine arts. She returned as a guest lecturer and adjunct faculty member. </p> <p>In a <a href="https://newsroom.howard.edu/newsroom/static/14391/howard-university-announces-legendary-actress-alumna-phylicia-rashad-dean">statement</a> announcing her appointment in May, Provost Anthony K. Wutoh said Rashad's "passion for the arts and student success makes her a perfect fit for this role." </p> <p>One of the students Rashad mentored at Howard was the late actor Chadwick Boseman, for whom the school's College of Fine Arts is named. </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Bill+Cosby+Urges+Howard+University+To+Support+Phylicia+Rashad%27s+Freedom+Of+Speech&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/07/05/98377/bill-cosby-urges-howard-university-to-support-phyl/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Mon, 05 Jul 2021 12:40:12 -0700 Judge Denies Britney Spears' Request To Have Her Father Removed From Conservatorship https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/06/30/98341/judge-denies-britney-spears-request-to-have-her-fa/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/06/30/98341/judge-denies-britney-spears-request-to-have-her-fa/ Anastasia Tsioulcas | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/b8292f454c770e629b5631cad83949db/234094-small.jpg" width="3006" height="1690" alt="A judge has denied Britney Spears' request to remove her father, Jamie Spears (left), as a co-conservator." /> <p><i>A judge has denied Britney Spears' request to remove her father, Jamie Spears (left), as a co-conservator.; Credit: /AP</i></p> <p><address>Anastasia Tsioulcas | NPR</address></p><p>A Los Angeles Superior Court judge signed an order Wednesday denying Britney Spears' request to have her father, Jamie Spears, removed from the financial aspects of her conservatorship.</p> <p>Judge Brenda Penny denied the request, which was first filed by Spears' attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, last November. The judge's decision comes after the singer appeared in court last Wednesday to make a direct appeal to the court. In that emotional <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/24/1009858617/britney-spears-transcript-court-hearing-conservatorship">statement</a>, Spears said that she was being exploited and "bullied" by the conservatorship — and specifically, by her father.</p> <p>Until recently, both the financial and personal arms of the conservatorship were controlled by Spears' father, Jamie Spears.</p> <p>Last year, Ingham stated in a filing that Spears "strongly opposed" her father as conservator, and that she refused to perform if he remained in charge of her career.</p> <p>In February, Judge Penny allowed a wealth-management company, Bessemer Trust, to come in as a co-conservator for the financial arm of Spears' arrangement. Jamie Spears remains the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/23/1009059744/britney-spears-conservatorship">main conservator</a> for all other aspects of Spears' conservatorship.</p> <p>The next hearing in the case is currently scheduled for July 14. It is possible that Spears will submit a petition for the conservatorship to be terminated. In her comments to Judge Penny last week, Spears said that she had been unaware that she could take such an action. "I didn't know I could petition the conservatorship to end it," she said. "I'm sorry for my ignorance, but I honestly didn't know that." </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Judge+Denies+Britney+Spears%27+Request+To+Have+Her+Father+Removed+From+Conservatorship&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/06/30/98341/judge-denies-britney-spears-request-to-have-her-fa/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Wed, 30 Jun 2021 21:00:08 -0700 Britney Spears Is Headed To Court To Address Her Conservatorship. Here's What To Know https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/06/23/98233/britney-spears-is-headed-to-court-to-address-her-c/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/06/23/98233/britney-spears-is-headed-to-court-to-address-her-c/ Anastasia Tsioulcas | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/fd7a9c4ebb7222cdd99e16a7bc5a61fd/233947-small.jpg" width="902" height="676" alt="#FreeBritney activists protest outside the Los Angeles Superior Court during one of Britney Spears' hearings this April." /> <p><i>#FreeBritney activists protest outside the Los Angeles Superior Court during one of Britney Spears' hearings this April.; Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images</i></p> <p><address>Anastasia Tsioulcas | NPR</address></p><p>Pop star <a href="https://www.britneyspears.com/">Britney Spears</a> hasn't been in charge of her personal life or her finances for 13 years — that's how long she has been in a court-dictated legal arrangement called a conservatorship.</p> <p>But on Wednesday, the artist will be speaking directly, albeit from a remote location, to a Los Angeles Superior Court judge about her situation. What exactly she intends to say in her appearance and what her goals might be are anyone's guess.</p> <p>Before then, here's a quick look at what conservatorships are and why they exist, the specifics of Spears' arrangements, the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/freebritney?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Ehashtag">#FreeBritney</a> movement and what Spears and others have said publicly — and privately — about her conservatorship.</p> <p><strong>What is a conservatorship, and why does one get put in place?</strong></p> <p>Typically, legal and financial conservatorships are arranged for people who are unable to make their own decisions in their own best self-interest, such as in the case of an elderly person or someone with some kind of cognitive impairment.</p> <p><strong>Why does Britney Spears have one?</strong></p> <p>The exact reasons that the 39-year-old Spears is under a conservatorship have not been publicly disclosed. She lost her autonomy 13 years ago, in 2008, after apparently suffering a mental health crisis.</p> <p>During the time that Spears has lived under this arrangement, though, she has released four albums (two of which, 2008's <em>Circus</em> and 2011's <em>Femme Fatale,</em> achieved platinum sales); appeared as a judge on both <em>The X Factor</em> and <em>American Idol</em>; and had a four-year residency in Las Vegas that reportedly grossed close to <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8491648/highest-grossing-las-vegas-residencies">$138 million</a>. Those accomplishments don't exactly line up with the typical profile of someone unable to look after themselves.</p> <p><strong>What does Spears' conservatorship cover?</strong></p> <p>Essentially, it controls all the major aspects of Spears' life, including decisions regarding her financial, medical and personal well-being. The conservators also oversee visitation arrangements with her two teenage sons, who are under the full custody of her ex-husband, Kevin Federline.</p> <p>According to <em>Forbes,</em> Spears' current net worth is around <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2021/02/17/britney-spears-net-worth-revealed--and-its-shockingly-low-compared-to-her-pop-peers/?sh=245268a518ac">$60 million</a>.</p> <p><strong>Who controls Spears' conservatorship?</strong></p> <p>Up until recently, both the financial and personal arms of the conservatorship were controlled by Spears' father, Jamie Spears.</p> <p>In 2020, her lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, stated in a filing that Spears "strongly opposed" her father as conservator and that she refused to perform if he remained in charge of her career. Spears asked the court for her father to be suspended from his role as conservator. (He had temporarily stepped away in 2019 for health reasons.)</p> <p>In February, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/02/11/967176455/judge-rules-against-britney-spears-father-in-conservatorship-dispute">overruled</a> an objection from Jamie Spears to having a third party help look after his daughter's financial affairs. A wealth-management company, Bessemer Trust, is now a co-conservator for the financial side of Spears' situation. But Jamie Spears is still the main conservator for all other aspects of Spears' arrangement.</p> <p><strong>Why is Spears planning to talk to the court now?</strong></p> <p>Back in April, Spears' legal team <a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-los-angeles-britney-spears-arts-and-entertainment-73a26ccdfe9cb244aa7d894e0d585c4c">asked</a> Penny to allow her to speak to the court directly about the conservatorship, and they agreed that June 23 would be the date for this to happen. At the time, Ingham did not disclose why Spears wants to speak or what she intends to say.</p> <p><strong>Has Spears ever asked for the conservatorship to end?</strong></p> <p>Up until now, Spears has never voiced a desire for the conservatorship to be removed completely — at least not publicly. In a court filing, she has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/explaining-britney-spears-court-conservatorship-hearing-48451f0cb51d7c646a51f2e10e97fb61">stated</a> that the conservatorship "rescued her from a collapse, exploitation by predatory individuals and financial ruin" and allowed her to "regain her position as a world class entertainer."</p> <p>But on Tuesday afternoon, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/22/arts/music/britney-spears-conservatorship.html"><em>The New York Times</em></a><em> </em>reported that it had obtained confidential court records that purport to show that Spears has opposed the conservatorship privately for years. The <em>Times </em>quoted a 2016 report from a court investigator assigned to Spears' case, in which the investigator wrote that Spears told her that the conservatorship had "become an oppressive and controlling tool against her" and that she wanted the arrangement to end quickly.</p> <p>According to the <em>Times</em>, Spears told the court in 2019 that the conservatorship had forced her into a stay at a mental health facility, as well as into making public performances against her will. The article further reported that the conservatorship had dictated Spears' friendships, her dating life and her spending habits, even preventing her from refinishing kitchen cabinets according to her taste.</p> <p>As early as 2014, the article states, Spears wanted to consider removing her father from his prime role in the conservatorship, citing his reportedly heavy drinking.</p> <p><strong>Does Spears herself support the #FreeBritney movement?</strong></p> <p>Certain Spears fans have organized themselves into a grassroots movement — #FreeBritney — to help Spears regain autonomy over her life. The dynamics between Spears and her dedicated #FreeBritney fans are murky, as are her various declarations on social media.</p> <p>In a court filing last September, her lawyer, Ingham, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54024740">wrote</a>: "At this point in her life when she is trying to regain some measure of personal autonomy, Britney welcomes and appreciates the informed support of her many fans."</p> <p>On the other hand, Spears to date has never publicly asked to be released from the conservatorship and regain her autonomy — which is the main goal of #FreeBritney.</p> <p>A very sympathetic <em>New York Times</em> television documentary, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/framing-britney-spears.html"><em>Framing Britney Spears</em></a>, debuted on FX in February. The project reckons with the way the media, comedians and the music industry itself characterized Spears during her ascent to global fame and during her later, very public struggles — and it also profiles some #FreeBritney activists.</p> <p>After it aired, Spears wrote <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CND5B1RArtK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=f6fd8fa1-2de5-406e-a0e1-75ff7b683d26">on Instagram</a>: "My life has always been very speculated [<em>sic</em>] ... watched ... and judged really my whole life !!! ... I didn't watch the documentary but from what I did see of it I was embarrassed by the light they put me in ... I cried for two weeks and well .... I still cry sometimes !!!!"</p> <p>Some #FreeBritney supporters don't believe Spears writes her own Instagram messages, leaving them to speculate about the pop star's true feelings. But Spears reportedly told <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/04/02/britney-spears-writes-social-media-posts-instagram-framing-documentary/">TMZ</a> in April that she writes her own captions.</p> <p><strong>What's next for Britney Spears?</strong></p> <p>Unclear. In an<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQPB1hmg6xV/"> Instagram video</a> posted last week, a visibly jittery Spears professed to be answering fans' most burning questions, including her shoe size and her favorite business trip (answer: "a trip to Italy [to] Donatella Versace. ... She fined [<em>sic</em>] and dined us").</p> <p>The last question Spears put forward to herself was a crucial one: Would she ever return to the stage again?</p> <p>"I have no idea," she said. "I'm having fun right now. I'm in transition in my life, and I'm enjoying myself." </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Britney+Spears+Is+Headed+To+Court+To+Address+Her+Conservatorship.+Here%27s+What+To+Know&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/06/23/98233/britney-spears-is-headed-to-court-to-address-her-c/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Wed, 23 Jun 2021 04:20:15 -0700 Amazon Makes A Deal To Buy MGM For Nearly $8.5 Billion https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/26/97949/amazon-makes-a-deal-to-buy-mgm-for-nearly-8-5-bill/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/26/97949/amazon-makes-a-deal-to-buy-mgm-for-nearly-8-5-bill/ Mandalit del Barco and Anastasia Tsioulcas | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/6d1cd598b9c8039547fa0e2f17fea613/233524-small.jpg" width="3425" height="2569" alt="Amazon has made a deal to purchase MGM for $8.5 billion." /> <p><i>Amazon has made a deal to purchase MGM for $8.5 billion.; Credit: /SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images</i></p> <p><address>Mandalit del Barco and Anastasia Tsioulcas | NPR</address></p><p></p> <strong>Updated May 26, 2021 at 10:12 AM ET</strong> <p><strong><em>Editor's note:</em></strong><em> Amazon is among NPR's financial supporters.</em></p> <p>Amazon has made a deal to buy Hollywood studio MGM for almost $8.5 billion. It's the second-largest acquisition for the company after purchasing Whole Foods.</p> <p>The tech company already runs a film studio, Prime Video streaming service, and video game streaming site Twitch. But the MGM deal is its biggest move into entertainment. Amazon will get the rights to the Golden Age studio's film and television library.</p> <p>The announcement was made Wednesday morning by the two companies. In a statement, Amazon's senior vice president of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, Mike Hopkins, emphasized the intellectual property value of MGM's vast holdings, which go back to the 1920s. "The real financial value behind this deal," Hopkins said, "is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM's talented team."</p> <p>With its mascot lion roaring logo, MGM made such movie classics as<em> Singin' In the Rain</em> and <em>2001: A Space Odyssey</em>. MGM also owns the EPIX cable channel and runs a TV studio that produced <em>The Handmaid's Tale</em> and <em>Fargo</em>.</p> <p>MGM also splits the highly lucrative James Bond movie franchise with a family that holds creative control of the 007 movies. According to <em>Variety</em>, as of 2020 the 24 films released so far in the series have generated <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/features/james-bond-no-time-to-die-barbara-broccoli-michael-wilson-1203466601/">$16.3 billion</a> in global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation.</p> <p>In all, MGM's catalog includes more than 4,000 films — including such pop-culture staples as <em>Moonstruck</em>, <em>Legally Blonde</em>, <em>Rocky</em>, <em>The Pink Panther</em>, <em>The Silence of the Lambs </em>and <em>Poltergeist</em> — and 17,000 television shows. Access to those movies and shows will certainly augment Amazon's Prime Video offerings, particularly at a time when other studios and networks have created their own platforms to reach consumers, such as HBO Max, Paramount+ and Disney+. As of last month, there were more than 200 million Amazon Prime account holders worldwide, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos told <a href="https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/amazon-prime-200-million-jeff-bezos-1234952188/"><em>Variety</em></a>.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-to-buy-hollywood-studio-mgm-for-8-45-billion-with-debt-11622033315"><em>Wall Street Journal</em></a><em> </em>reported on Wednesday that the deal for $8.45 billion includes taking on MGM's current debts. The deal has not yet closed, an Amazon spokesperson noted to NPR, and is subject to regulatory approvals. The company is already facing <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/26/amazon-to-buy-mgm-studios-for-8point45-billion.html">antitrust inquiries</a> in both the U.S. and Europe. </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Amazon+Makes+A+Deal+To+Buy+MGM+For+Nearly+%248.5+Billion&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/26/97949/amazon-makes-a-deal-to-buy-mgm-for-nearly-8-5-bill/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Wed, 26 May 2021 08:20:11 -0700 Charles Grodin, Actor, Comedian And Author, Is Dead At 86 https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/18/97859/charles-grodin-actor-comedian-and-author-is-dead-a/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/18/97859/charles-grodin-actor-comedian-and-author-is-dead-a/ Bob Mondello | NPR <p><address>Bob Mondello | NPR</address></p><p></p> <strong>Updated May 18, 2021 at 4:30 PM ET</strong> <p>Actor Charles Grodin, whose comic characters were almost always hapless, and whose serious characters generally gave that trademark haplessness a sinister twist, died Tuesday of cancer at his home in Wilton, Conn. He was 86.</p> <p>His death, from <a href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99970093">bone marrow cancer</a>, was confirmed to NPR by his son, actor Nicholas Grodin.</p> <p>He was the obstetrician who gave <em>Rosemary's Bab</em>y to a coven of witches, the dog owner who couldn't control his enormous Saint Bernard in the <em>Beethoven</em> movies, and the man who met the girl of his dreams just a little bit late in <em>The Heartbreak Kid. </em>He was, sad to say, on his honeymoon.</p> <p>Grodin credited Elaine May's direction of <a href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15017471"><em>The Heartbreak Kid</em></a> with jump-starting his film career in 1972, though he'd made his debut as an uncredited child actor almost two decades earlier in <em>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.</em> He became a familiar face in such comedies as <em>Heaven Can Wait </em>and <em>Midnight Run</em>, in which he played an accountant pursued by Robert De Niro after having embezzled from the mob.</p> <p>When not working in films, Grodin directed plays on Broadway, including <em>Lovers and Other Strangers </em>in 1968 and <em>Thieves</em> in<em> </em>1974 with Marlo Thomas. And in 1975, he scored a big success opposite Ellen Burstyn as an annual philanderer in the Broadway romantic comedy <em>Same Time, Next Year</em> (the part went to Alan Alda in the film version).</p> <p>Grodin once described himself as "low-key, but high-strung," which also described a lot of his characters. And he was so sought after as a talk-show guest on late-night TV (<a href="https://www.npr.org/2012/05/13/152496256/johnny-carson-king-of-late-night-a-man-unknown">Johnny Carson</a> had him on <em>The Tonight Show</em> 36 times), he ended up hosting a talk show host himself in the 1990s.</p> <p>His knack for deadpan humor extended to books with titles such as <em>How I Got to Be Whoever It Is I Am</em>. </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Charles+Grodin%2C+Actor%2C+Comedian+And+Author%2C+Is+Dead+At+86&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/18/97859/charles-grodin-actor-comedian-and-author-is-dead-a/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Tue, 18 May 2021 14:40:05 -0700 Meet America's Newest Chess Master, 10-Year-Old Tanitoluwa Adewumi https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/11/97776/meet-america-s-newest-chess-master-10-year-old-tan/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/11/97776/meet-america-s-newest-chess-master-10-year-old-tan/ Mary Louise Kelly and Karen Zamora | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/8ff0b037073707fa577be37ec4d0145a/233273-small.jpg" width="2455" height="1841" alt="Tanitoluwa Adewumi, pictured in 2019, just became the newest national chess master in the U.S. at age 10." /> <p><i>Tanitoluwa Adewumi, pictured in 2019, just became the newest national chess master in the U.S. at age 10.; Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images </i></p> <p><address>Mary Louise Kelly and Karen Zamora | NPR</address></p><p>Tanitoluwa Adewumi, a 10-year-old in New York, just became the country's newest national chess master.</p> <p>At the Fairfield County Chess Club Championship tournament in Connecticut on May 1, Adewumi won all four of his matches, bumping his chess rating up to 2223 and making him the 28th youngest person to become a chess master, according to <a href="https://new.uschess.org/news/tani-adewumi-national-master-age-10">US Chess</a>.</p> <p>"I was very happy that I won and that I got the title," he says, "I really love that I finally got it."</p> <p>"Finally" is after about three years — the amount of time that Adewumi has been playing chess. When he started, Adewumi and his family were living in a homeless shelter in Manhattan after fleeing religious persecution by the Islamist militant group <a href="https://www.npr.org/tags/145932545/boko-haram">Boko Haram</a> in their home country of Nigeria.</p> <p>Now, Adewumi practices chess "every day" after school for "10, 11 hours" — and still manages to get some sleep. </p> <p>His hours of practice have paid off. As a chess player, he describes himself as a bit of an every man, "aggressive" or "calm" when he needs to be, and always thinking ahead.</p> <p>"On a normal position, I can do up to 20 moves<strong> </strong>[in advance]",<strong> </strong>he says. Keeping all of the pieces straight in his head might seem like a challenge but Adewumi says it's a skill that "when you master, it just keeps coming back."</p> <p>Adewumi competes against other chess players at all levels. But his favorite match?</p> <p>"I guess <a href="https://www.npr.org/2012/05/11/152511647/hikaru-nakamura-the-next-bobby-fischer">Hikaru Nakamura</a> is my favorite person I've ever played," he says. "He's a grandmaster, a very strong one. He's on the top of the rankings."</p> <p>Nakamura won that match. But Adewumi takes each loss in stride — and there's always the possibility of a comeback.</p> <p>"I say to myself that I never lose, that I only learn," he says. "Because when you lose, you have to make a mistake to lose that game. So you learn from that mistake, and so you learn [overall]. So losing is the way of winning for yourself."</p> <p>Since the last time NPR spoke with Adewumi, his family moved out of the shelter and he's written a book about his life called<em> My Name Is Tani . . . and I Believe in Miracles. </em>That book <a href="https://deadline.com/2019/11/trevor-noah-tani-adewumi-homeless-8-year-old-nigerian-chess-prodigy-movie-paramount-pictures-1202775135/">has been optioned</a> for a <a href="https://www.npr.org/2016/11/22/503009220/trevor-noah-looks-back-on-childhood-in-the-shadow-of-a-giant-his-mom">Trevor Noah</a>-produced film adaptation with a script by <em>The Pursuit of Happyness</em> screenwriter Steven Conrad. </p> <p>But Adewumi's journey is not over yet. He says his goal is to become the world's youngest grandmaster. At 10 years 8 months, he has a little under two years to beat the current record holder, Sergey Karjakin, who gained his title at <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/08/opinion/sunday/homeless-chess-champion-tani-adewumi.html">12 years 7 months</a>. </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Meet+America%27s+Newest+Chess+Master%2C+10-Year-Old+Tanitoluwa+Adewumi&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/11/97776/meet-america-s-newest-chess-master-10-year-old-tan/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Tue, 11 May 2021 17:20:11 -0700 Need Aid For Your Shuttered Venue? End Of May Is The Earliest You Might Get It https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/05/97699/need-aid-for-your-shuttered-venue-end-of-may-is-th/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/05/97699/need-aid-for-your-shuttered-venue-end-of-may-is-th/ Andrew Limbong | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/00a27e3a38fe4305166fdc6cfbb6bcfb/233165-small.jpg" width="4715" height="2652" alt="Live-event spaces, like the Sound Nightclub in Los Angeles, have been waiting months for emergency relief." /> <p><i>Live-event spaces, like the Sound Nightclub in Los Angeles, have been waiting months for emergency relief.; Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images</i></p> <p><address>Andrew Limbong | NPR</address></p><p>Owners of live-music venues, theaters, museums and other businesses covered under the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, or SVOG, can expect to see money by the end of May. This is according to an update from the Small Business Administration, which has been handling the SVOG program's bumpy rollout.</p> <p>An SBA spokesperson said in an email that since the portal to apply for these grants opened a week ago, 10,300 applications have been submitted (another 12,000 have been started but not completed). The vast majority of those applications were from "Live venue operators or promoters," followed by performing arts organizations and then movie theaters.</p> <p>The SBA has been reviewing applications and said in a statement that "applicants will receive notice of awards this month," with disbursement by the end of May if the applicant responds in a "timely manner to the notice of award."</p> <p>The SVOG program is a $16 billion emergency relief program that then-President Donald Trump signed into law in late December 2020. It was a bipartisan effort to get aid money to struggling music venues and other arts and live-event spaces that have been hit hard by the coronavirus struggles. But for an emergency relief program, it has taken months to get money in the hands of business owners holding off landlords, insurance companies and other creditors. Those owners spent early 2021 waiting on an official announcement of when they could apply for the grant money while compiling any documents and paperwork they thought they might need. Then once the application site was up and running, it crashed and was closed.</p> <p>Even as <a href="https://twitter.com/GovBallNYC?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">large festivals</a> roll out throughout the U.S. and bands announce tours for later in the year, many small live-event spaces are still at risk of closing. The National Independent Venue Association, one of the most vocal groups lobbying for support for live-music venues, has <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e91157c96fe495a4baf48f2/t/608304e1cbcc003231e324ae/1619199201238/Statement+from+NIVA+regarding+SBA+Reopening+the+Shuttered+Venue+Operators+Grant+Application+Portal+++++%281%29.pdf">long stated</a> that 90% of its members would be forced to close without any aid — which would hurt nearby bars, restaurants and shops, not to mention the large apparatus that is the live touring-arts industry. </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Need+Aid+For+Your+Shuttered+Venue%3F+End+Of+May+Is+The+Earliest+You+Might+Get+It+&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/05/97699/need-aid-for-your-shuttered-venue-end-of-may-is-th/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Wed, 05 May 2021 04:20:10 -0700 Burning Man Canceled: 'Relief' As Burners, Locals See Bright Side Of Informal Events https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/04/29/97639/burning-man-canceled-relief-as-burners-locals-see/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/04/29/97639/burning-man-canceled-relief-as-burners-locals-see/ Emma Bowman | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/a1f98272e27e261849d3e19d9e866b13/233080-small.jpg" width="5100" height="3403" alt="The pandemic has once again felled Burning Man. Some burners still plan to gather for informal events on the dusty Black Rock Desert Playa this summer." /> <p><i>The pandemic has once again felled Burning Man. Some burners still plan to gather for informal events on the dusty Black Rock Desert Playa this summer.; Credit: Bernard Friel/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images</i></p> <p><address>Emma Bowman | NPR</address></p><p>And so it goes: Burning Man 2021 is canceled. It's the second year in a row, the popular arts festival won't be held in Nevada's Black Rock Desert due to the pandemic.</p> <p>"We have decided to set our sights on Black Rock City 2022," event officials announced in a<a href="https://journal.burningman.org/2021/04/news/official-announcements/into-the-great-unknown/"> blog post on Tuesday</a>. In a frequently-asked-questions section,<a href="https://burningman.org/event/brc/2021-faq/"> organizers added</a>: "We've heard from many who don't feel ready to come to Black Rock City. While we're confident in our ability to get a permit and to safeguard public health, we know that co-creating Black Rock City in 2021 would put tremendous strain on our community while we are still ironing out uncertainty."</p> <p>Many would-be attendees praised the decision in comments on the Burning Man website and on social media as a safe one; others are anxiously anticipating a bigger and better 2022 Burn.</p> <p>But the cancellation has put many people in the event's host community at ease. </p> <p>Wary of a trend of rising coronavirus cases in some parts of the region, Washoe County's district health officer Kevin Dick said "the right call was made," in order to lower the risk of spreading infection. </p> <p>"The event draws thousands of people from all over the world," Dick said in an email. "We are seeing large outbreaks of COVID-19 occurring in a number of countries, areas where very contagious COVID-19 variants of concern are prevalent and where low rates of vaccination are occurring."</p> <p>The head of a local Paiute tribe is also feeling less burdened knowing there won't be the annual pilgrimage. The main highway to get to the Black Rock Desert playa, which normally draws tens of thousands of people to the summer event, cuts through tribal lands.</p> <p>"For us it is a sigh of relief," said Janet Davis, chairwoman of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.</p> <p>Although the event — which brings in about $63 million to the state annually — gives the tribal community a welcome financial boost, Davis said.</p> <p>"We don't know who's vaccinated and who's not," she said. "We've been trying to keep our reservation safe and that happening was too soon for us to open."</p> <p>As with last year, the organization will offer <a href="https://kindling.burningman.org/virtual-burn/">virtual programming</a> during Burn Week, from Aug. 29 through Sept. 7, an experience they say drew 165,000 participants in 2020.</p> <p>In response to a request for more details on the reasons for the cancellation, Burning Man organizers declined to comment further. Earlier this month, though, CEO Marian Goodell said the organization <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-arts-and-entertainment-cultures-lifestyle-government-and-politics-81405fb48db2e911a7f8ebcedce8c1f1">was "weighing the gravity"</a> of implementing a vaccination requirement that she said challenged "radical inclusion," one of the group's 10 principles.</p> <p>Still, for many burners, the news won't extinguish their plans to trek to the desert in droves. Just like last year, revelers are preparing to hold unofficial gatherings on public land in place of the annual event.</p> <p>Last summer, those events — the so-called "rogue" and "free" burns or, unmistakably, "Not Burning Man" — drew an estimated 3,000 people to Black Rock Desert during the time Burning Man is normally held, according to the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that approves the organization's permits each year.</p> <p>Kevin Jervis, one such attendee who now lives in Gerlach — a tiny desert town near the event site — welcomed this year's cancellation.</p> <p>He called it "more of a relief than anything. ... A lot of us liked it better the way it happened last year."</p> <p>During the informal festivities, Jervis spent a few days between the playa and its outskirts. He said he and his fellow burners felt like it represented the festival's freewheeling roots. </p> <p>"I've had friends that have been going since '94 and they said it was a lot more like it used to be. We didn't have to go by regulations," he said. "We could have guns, dogs ... it was a lot freer."</p> <p>Even before the pandemic, burners increasingly saw an annual gathering under siege.</p> <p>Event-goers who adhere to Burning Man's counterculture beginnings say the festival's explosion in popularity<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/07/14/737708644/federal-clampdown-on-burning-man-imperils-festivals-free-spirit-ethos-say-burner"> in the past decade</a> has welcomed a host of bad actors who trash the desert and surrounding communities and disregard the event's <a href="https://burningman.org/culture/philosophical-center/10-principles/">founding principles</a>, including "decommodification" and the eco-friendly philosophy of "leave no trace."</p> <p>Some of those perceived threats come from festival officials themselves, he said. A ticket to the main event alone cost over $400 in 2019 — a financial hurdle critics say goes against another tenet long espoused, that "everyone is invited."</p> <p>"People that have never been before came out last year because they either couldn't get a ticket other years or they were just kind of curious. Or they didn't have the money to go to the actual Burn," said Jervis.</p> <p>As for the Pyramid Lake Paiute community, with the reservation largely closed during that period last year, Davis said, "we really didn't see the impact" from a public health standpoint.</p> <p>"You're not talking about 65 — 75,000 people." While there was more traffic, she said, "they moseyed on through and moseyed on out."</p> <p>In the years leading up to the pandemic, BLM had been cracking down on the event's growth. Were the festival to return this year, Burning Man organizers said they would have had to meet a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-arts-and-entertainment-cultures-lifestyle-government-and-politics-81405fb48db2e911a7f8ebcedce8c1f1">population cap of 69,000</a>, down from its 80,000 limit for previous events.</p> <p>Jervis says he won't miss what he describes as organizers' leniency toward "elites" who set up VIP areas at their camps and hire out to construct their art creations instead of making their own.</p> <p>"A lot of people have gotten sick of what Burning Man's kind of become," he said.</p> <p>Even if this year was a go, he said, burners would still be setting up their own Burning Man-adjacent happenings.</p> <p>Following the announcement of the event's cancellation, people are taking to Facebook groups to reminisce about last year's unsanctioned burns and discuss preparations for their own this summer.</p> <p>"So it seems that as of today there isn't going to be an official [Burning Man Ceremony] this year," <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/648648302688557/permalink/787375792149140/">James Zapata wrote</a>. "So who's joining me in the dust?" </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Burning+Man+Canceled%3A+%27Relief%27+As+Burners%2C+Locals+See+Bright+Side+Of+Informal+Events+&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/04/29/97639/burning-man-canceled-relief-as-burners-locals-see/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Thu, 29 Apr 2021 19:00:10 -0700 Poetry Challenge: Create A List Poem That Grapples With Rise Of Anti-Asian Racism https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/03/31/97252/poetry-challenge-create-a-list-poem-that-grapples/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/03/31/97252/poetry-challenge-create-a-list-poem-that-grapples/ Casey Noenickx | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/b4f56bf2a7711ceb57a1a7f257e6627a/232515-small.jpg" width="1497" height="1123" alt="Share your story." /> <p><i>; Credit: /Katherine Du</i></p> <p><address>Casey Noenickx | NPR</address></p><p>Over the years, NPR's poetry community has turned both <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/05/27/862339935/running-for-your-life-a-community-poem-for-ahmaud-arbery">painful</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/07/01/736289920/beach-adventures-and-falling-in-love-summer-in-a-haiku">joyful</a> experiences into magnificent work.</p> <p>As the world still endures the <a href="https://www.npr.org/series/812054919/the-coronavirus-crisis">coronavirus pandemic</a>, the U.S. also grieves over <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/03/18/978438147/on-capitol-hill-asian-american-leaders-to-voice-very-real-fear-in-community">increased violence against Asian Americans</a> and a <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/03/18/978742409/what-we-know-about-the-victims-of-the-atlanta-area-shootings">mass shooting</a> in Georgia that left six women of Asian descent dead.</p> <p>"Let's be clear: Anti-Asian violence and discrimination are not new. But, this racism seems to be heightened," says Kwame Alexander, NPR's resident poet. "And the onus is not on Asian Americans to figure this out. Frankly, it's on white people, it's on the rest of us — individually, systemically, to talk about it, to pay attention to, advocate against it."</p> <p>"<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/147814/between-autumn-equinox-and-winter-solstice-today">Between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice, Today</a>," by Emily Jungmin Yoon, is a list poem that reflects the coldness of the world and how it wears on us. Yoon is a South Korean-born poet pursuing her Ph.D. in Korean literature at the University of Chicago.</p> <p>Alexander and <em>Morning Edition</em>'s Rachel Martin ask listeners: How do you cope with recent anti-Asian violence and discrimination? Tell us in a list poem.</p> <p>Your poem doesn't have to rhyme. It just needs to have an ordered list with details that show your state of mind — and must begin with the word "today."</p> <p>Share your poem through the form below. Then Alexander will take lines from some of your pieces and create a community crowdsourced poem. Alexander and Martin will read it on air, and NPR will publish it online, where contributors will be credited.</p> <p>Submissions are due by noon ET on Monday, April 5.</p> <p></p><hr> <p>Here are the terms of the callout:</p> <p><strong>By providing your Submission to us, you agree that you have read, understand and accept the following terms in relation to the content and information (your "Submission") you are providing to National Public Radio ("NPR," "us" or "our"):</strong></p> <p>You are submitting content pursuant to a callout by <em>Morning Edition</em> related to a segment with Kwame Alexander wherein he creates unique poetry based on listener submissions. You understand that you are submitting content for the purpose of having Kwame use that content to create a new poem or poems ("Poem") with the material you submit. You must be over the age of 18 to submit material.</p> <p>You will retain copyright in your Submission, but agree that NPR and/or Kwame Alexander may edit, modify, use, excerpt, publish, adapt or otherwise make derivative works from your Submission and use your Submission or derivative works in whole or in part in any media or format and/or use the Submission or Poem for journalistic and/or promotional purposes generally, and may allow others to do so. You understand that the Poem created by Kwame Alexander will be a new creative work and may be distributed through NPR's programs (or other media), and the Poem and programs can be separately subject to copyright protection. Your Submission does not plagiarize or otherwise infringe any third-party copyright, moral rights or any other intellectual property rights or similar rights. You have not copied any part of your Submission from another source. If your Submission is selected for inclusion in the Poem, you will be acknowledged in a list of contributors on NPR's website or otherwise receive appropriate credit, but failure to do so shall not be deemed a breach of your rights.</p> <p>Your submission will be governed by our general <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179876898/terms-of-use">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a>. As the Privacy Policy says, we want you to be aware that there may be circumstances in which the exemptions provided under law for journalistic activities or freedom of expression may override privacy rights you might otherwise have. </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Poetry+Challenge%3A+Create+A+List+Poem+That+Grapples+With+Rise+Of+Anti-Asian+Racism&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/03/31/97252/poetry-challenge-create-a-list-poem-that-grapples/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Wed, 31 Mar 2021 04:20:07 -0700 George R.R. Martin Signs New Five Year Deal With HBO And HBO Max https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/03/29/97229/george-r-r-martin-signs-new-five-year-deal-with-hb/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/03/29/97229/george-r-r-martin-signs-new-five-year-deal-with-hb/ Jeannette Muhammad | NPR <p><address>Jeannette Muhammad | NPR</address></p><p>George R.R. Martin has entered into a five year deal with HBO to develop content for both HBO and HBO Max, the network said in a statement on Monday. </p> <p>The best-selling fantasy author and four-time Emmy award winner, best known for his book series <em>A Song of Ice and Fire </em>and its television adaptation <em>Game of Thrones</em>, is attached to multiple projects in the pipeline for the media company and streaming service. </p> <p>The <em>Game of Thrones </em>television series followed powerful families aiming for the iron throne in the continent of Westeros. It ran for eight years on HBO, with the final season wrapping in 2019.</p> <p>Martin has a new drama series in the works, <em>House of the Dragon</em>, which is based on his <em>Fire &amp; Blood </em>book. The <em>Game of Thrones</em> prequel follows House Targaryen and is set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones. </p> <p>The show has been given a ten episode order. Paddy Considine, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, and Emma D'Arcy have joined the series, with additional cast members to be announced. </p> <p>The show is co-created by Martin and Ryan Condal, whose prior work includes <em>Colony, Rampage, </em>and <em>Hercules.</em> Condal and Miguel Sapochnik (<em>Game of Thrones, Altered Carbon</em>) serve as showrunners and producers with Martin and Vince Gerardis (<em>Game of Thrones</em>).</p> <p>Martin is also set to executive produce HBO's <em>Who Fears Death, </em>a fantasy post-apocalyptic series with Tessa Thompson attached to star and adapted from the novel by Nnedi Okorafor; and <em>Roadmarks, </em>an adaptation of the sci-fi novel from Roger Zelazny. </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=George+R.R.+Martin+Signs+New+Five+Year+Deal+With+HBO+And+HBO+Max&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/03/29/97229/george-r-r-martin-signs-new-five-year-deal-with-hb/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Mon, 29 Mar 2021 14:00:07 -0700 Larry McMurtry, Novelist And Screenwriter Of The West, Has Died At Age 84 https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/03/26/97200/larry-mcmurtry-novelist-and-screenwriter-of-the-we/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/03/26/97200/larry-mcmurtry-novelist-and-screenwriter-of-the-we/ Anastasia Tsioulcas | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/db99662c74e6b7fc1a24ff4125bc92a3/232447-small.jpg" width="928" height="696" alt="President Barack Obama presents novelist, essayist and screenwriter Larry McMurtry with a National Humanities Medal in September 2015." /> <p><i>President Barack Obama presents novelist, essayist and screenwriter Larry McMurtry with a National Humanities Medal in September 2015.; Credit: Leigh Vogel/WireImage/Getty Images</i></p> <p><address>Anastasia Tsioulcas | NPR</address></p><p></p> <strong>Updated March 26, 2021 at 2:13 PM ET</strong> <p>Larry McMurtry, a prolific, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Oscar-winning screenwriter, has died at age 84. He was beloved for riveting and yet unsentimental depictions of the American West in books like <em>Lonesome Dove</em>, as well as for tales of family drama including <em>Terms of Endearment</em>.</p> <p>In a statement, his representative Amanda Lundberg said McMurtry "passed away last night, on March 25 of heart failure at 84 years old surrounded by his loved ones who he lived with including long time writing partner Diana Ossana, his wife Norma Faye and their 3 dogs."</p> <p>In all, McMurtry wrote more than 30 novels as well as over a dozen non-fiction works that spanned memoir, history and essays. He also wrote over 20 screenplays and television scripts.</p> <p>McMurtry was also famous for his bookstore, <a href="https://www.bookedupac.com/">Booked Up</a> in Archer City, Texas. Even after selling off more than half of his holdings in 2012, he still had about 200,000 books between his private collection and the store.</p> <p>When he won an Oscar in 2006 for the screenplay adaption of E. Annie Proulx' short story <em>Brokeback Mountain</em>, which he co-wrote with longtime writing partner Diana Ossana, he thanked booksellers.</p> <p>"From the humblest paperback exchange to the masters of the great bookshops of the world," he said, "all are contributors to the survival of the culture of the book, a wonderful culture, which we mustn't lose."</p> <p>Filmmakers were drawn to McMurtry's work; his books <em>Hud</em>, <em>The Last Picture Show </em>and <em>Terms of Endearment </em>were all made into films. <em>Lonesome Dove</em>, which earned him the Pulitzer in 1985, became a successful TV miniseries in 1989, starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones.</p> <p>Born in 1936 on a Texas ranch, McMurtry came to his love of the West through his family. His grandfather broke horses, and his father raised cattle.</p> <p>"The West is mostly a very beautiful place," he told <em>All Things Considered</em> in 2014. "There are all those lovely spaces. There are all those running horses. It's a poetic imagery and it's been there for a long time."</p> <p>But he wanted to scour that landscape of sentimental nostalgia for cowboys, he added. "To me it was hollow and I think it was hollow for my father, although he might not have ever brought that to his conscious mind. He totally loved cowboys and so did most of the cowboys we worked with and that got him through his life. But he knew perfectly well, so did we, that it wouldn't last another generation, it just was not going to last." </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Larry+McMurtry%2C+Novelist+And+Screenwriter+Of+The+West%2C+Has+Died+At+Age+84&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/03/26/97200/larry-mcmurtry-novelist-and-screenwriter-of-the-we/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Fri, 26 Mar 2021 12:20:16 -0700 Works By Thomas Edison, Kermit The Frog Inducted Into Library Of Congress https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/03/24/97145/works-by-thomas-edison-kermit-the-frog-inducted-in/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/03/24/97145/works-by-thomas-edison-kermit-the-frog-inducted-in/ Jaclyn Diaz | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/2e3fcd301e0e93f779fd8ab2d71c0143/232369-small.jpg" width="3004" height="1400" alt="From left, jazz musician Louis Armstrong in Rome in 1968, Janet Jackson at the Essence Festival in New Orleans in 2018, and Nas at the Essence Festival in 2019. Works by each of these musicians are among 25 recordings being inducted to the National Recording Registry." /> <p><i>From left, jazz musician Louis Armstrong in Rome in 1968, Janet Jackson at the Essence Festival in New Orleans in 2018, and Nas at the Essence Festival in 2019. Works by each of these musicians are among 25 recordings being inducted to the National Recording Registry.; Credit: /AP</i></p> <p><address>Jaclyn Diaz | NPR</address></p><p>What do Janet Jackson, Ira Glass, Kermit the Frog, Nas and Louis Armstrong have in common? </p> <p>These musicians, interviewers, and frogs are behind songs and other recordings to be <a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-21-015/national-recording-registry-adds-rhythm-nation-among-25-new-selections/2021-03-24/">inducted</a> into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry on Wednesday.</p> <p>The Library of Congress announced the 25 titles picked this year are considered "audio treasures worthy of preservation" based on their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance to the nation's heritage.</p> <p>Janet Jackson's album "Rhythm Nation 1814;" Louis Armstrong's performance of "When the Saints Go Marching In;" Patti Labelle's song "Lady Marmalade;" Nas' record "Illmatic," Kool &amp; the Gang's "Celebration;" and Kermit the Frog's "The Rainbow Connection" are now part of the collection of more than 550 other titles. </p> <p>"The National Recording Registry will preserve our history through these vibrant recordings of music and voices that have reflected our humanity and shaped our culture from the past 143 years," Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement Wednesday.</p> <p>The recordings, stretching from 1878 to 2008, were chosen out of 900 nominations from the public, Hayden said. </p> <p>"This American Life" is the first podcast to join the registry. The 2008 episode co-produced with NPR News telling the story of the subprime mortgage crisis will be added to the collection. </p> <p>"When we put this out as a podcast, turning a radio show into a podcast, we did literally nothing to accommodate it," host Ira Glass said in a statement shared by the Library of Congress. "And my theory is that podcasting is most powerful for the same reason that radio is the most powerful. That is, when you have a medium where you're not seeing people, there's just an intimacy to hearing somebody's voice."</p> <p>The inclusion of Kermit the Frog's "The Rainbow Connection" deeply touched the Muppet. </p> <p>"Well, gee, it's an amazing feeling to officially become part of our nation's history," Kermit said in a statement. "It's a great honor. And I am thrilled — I am thrilled! — to be the first frog on the list!"</p> <p>The song was included in the 1979 "The Muppet Movie" performed by Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, and written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher.</p> <p>Williams said the song is about the "immense power of faith."</p> <p>"We don't know how it works, but we believe that it does," Williams said. "Sometimes the questions are more beautiful than the answers."</p> <p>Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian of Congress selects 25 titles each year that are at least 10 years old. </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Works+By+Thomas+Edison%2C+Kermit+The+Frog+Inducted+Into+Library+Of+Congress&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/03/24/97145/works-by-thomas-edison-kermit-the-frog-inducted-in/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Wed, 24 Mar 2021 03:40:09 -0700 Actors Involved In James Franco Suit Settle, Drop Claims https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/02/22/96739/actors-involved-in-james-franco-suit-settle-drop-c/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/02/22/96739/actors-involved-in-james-franco-suit-settle-drop-c/ Elizabeth Blair | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/c814404a79671d4e1ab1001163aa1869/231766-small.jpg" width="907" height="680" alt="James Franco attends a special screening of the final season of &quot;The Deuce&quot; at Metrograph on Sept. 5, 2019 in New York City. =" /> <p><i>James Franco attends a special screening of the final season of "The Deuce" at Metrograph on Sept. 5, 2019 in New York City. =; Credit: Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images</i></p> <p><address>Elizabeth Blair | NPR</address></p><p>The parties involved in a sexual misconduct case against Oscar-winning actor James Franco have reached a preliminary settlement agreement. The two actors who filed the suit have agreed to drop their claims.</p> <p>In 2019, Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal alleged that James Franco's Studio 4 acting school sexually exploited female students. The complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, also alleged fraud and sought to represent more than 100 former female students at the now defunct Studio 4. Vince Jolivette, Jay Davis and Franco's RabbitBandini Productions were also named in the suit which accused Studio 4 of setting out to "create a steady stream of young women to objectify and exploit."</p> <p>According to their <a href="https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/franco-settlement.pdf">joint status report</a> filed on Feb. 11, Tither-Kaplan and Gaal agreed to drop their individual claims. The Sexual Exploitation Class claims will also be dismissed. NPR is reaching out to both parties for comment.</p> <p>The original complaint was filed shortly after Franco won a Golden Globe for his performance in <em>The Disaster Artist</em>. Franco denied the allegations. In a statement to NPR at the time, his attorney said "James will not only fully defend himself, but will also seek damages from the plaintiffs and their attorneys for filing this scurrilous publicity seeking lawsuit."</p> <p>In 2016, Franco made a docuseries based on his Sex Scenes class at Studio 4 that he posted on his Facebook page. The videos have since been taken down, but one is <a href="https://vimeo.com/150319099">still available on Vimeo</a>. Tither-Kaplan, who was a student in the class, told <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/10/03/766586090/james-franco-sued-by-former-students-for-sexual-exploitation-and-fraud">NPR</a> she thought it would teach her how to "maneuver in sex scenes professionally as an actor," but it "did not do that at all."</p> <p>According to Tither-Kaplan, the class did not explain industry standards such as "nudity riders, the detail required in them, the right to counsel with the director about nude scenes, the custom to choreograph nude scenes ahead of time to negotiate them with the cast and the director — I knew none of that throughout that class."</p> <p>According to the parties' agreement, the allegations of fraud will be "subject to limited release." It is not clear whether monetary payments are involved. The parties say they expect to file a motion for preliminary approval of the settlement agreement no later than March 15. </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Actors+Involved+In+James+Franco+Suit+Settle%2C+Drop+Claims+&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/02/22/96739/actors-involved-in-james-franco-suit-settle-drop-c/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Mon, 22 Feb 2021 09:20:05 -0800 'I'm Not A Cover Girl': Halima Aden On Why She Decided To Leave A Modeling Career https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/02/16/96676/i-m-not-a-cover-girl-halima-aden-on-why-she-decide/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/02/16/96676/i-m-not-a-cover-girl-halima-aden-on-why-she-decide/ Ziad Buchh | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/e41dbb6a1de5c5c444c3559f928e5d22/231655-small.jpg" width="3600" height="2025" alt="Halima Aden attends the premiere of Netflix's Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly at Barker Hangar on Aug. 27, 2019, in Santa Monica, Calif." /> <p><i>Halima Aden attends the premiere of Netflix's <em>Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly</em> at Barker Hangar on Aug. 27, 2019, in Santa Monica, Calif.; Credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images</i></p> <p><address>Ziad Buchh | NPR</address></p><p>For Halima Aden, the decision to walk away from a career as the world's first hijab-wearing supermodel was fairly clear cut. She's felt used for so long, she says — by the modeling industry and by UNICEF, the organization she was photographed by as a child in a refugee camp in Kenya and later served as an ambassador for.</p> <p>Aden has been featured on the covers of <em>Vogue</em>, <em>Elle</em> and <em>Allure</em> magazines. And she walked the runway for Rihanna's Fenty Beauty and Kanye West's Yeezy. </p> <p>She tells <em>Morning Edition</em> host Rachel Martin she wanted to be a role model for young girls while being true to herself, but she wasn't accomplishing either. Modeling, she realized, was in "direct conflict" with who she is.</p> <p>"I'm not a cover girl, I'm Halima from Kakuma," she says. "I want to be the reason why girls have confidence within themselves, not the reason for their insecurity."</p> <p>Aden was raised in the Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya. She and her family moved to Minnesota in 2004 when she was 7. </p> <p>It was there her journey as a model began, competing for Miss Minnesota USA in 2016, seeking a scholarship. She finished in the semifinals, and says from there, modeling "fell from the sky" into her lap.</p> <p></p><hr> <p></p><h3><strong>Interview Highlights</strong></h3> <p><strong>You saw [modeling] not just as a chance to wear gorgeous clothes and to have your photo in magazines but also as a way to help people.</strong></p> <p>Growing up in America, not seeing representation, not seeing anybody who dressed like me look like me, it did make me feel like, wow, what's wrong with me, you know? And I'm sure if I had if I would have had representation growing up, I would have been so much more confident to wear my hijab, to be myself, to be authentic. But to be that person, to grow up and be on the cover of magazines, I've covered everything from <em>Vogue</em> to <em>Allure</em>, some of the biggest publications in fashion. And yet I still couldn't relate personally to my own image because that's not who I really am. That's not how I really dress. That's not how my hijab really looks. And, you know, fashion, it can be a very creative field, and I completely appreciate that. But my hijab was just getting spread so thin that I knew I had to give it all away, give it up. I'm not a cover girl. I am Halima from Kakuma. I want to be the reason why girls have confidence within themselves, not the reason for their insecurity.</p> <p><strong>When you say your hijab was being kind of styled out of existence, what passed for a hijab as you were walking down those runways?</strong></p> <p>Everything. Oh, my goodness. I had jeans at one point on my head as a hijab. I had Gucci pants styled as a turban. It just didn't even make sense, and I felt so far removed from the image itself.</p> <p><strong>During the pandemic you decided to walk away from fashion and UNICEF. Was it a complicated decision? </strong></p> <p>I'll be honest with you, the feelings that I've had towards the fashion industry and UNICEF, it was just multiplying as the years went on, so it was just festering. You know, because the fashion industry is very known to use these young girls and boys while their young, age 14 to like 24, I think is the average career of a model. And then they just replace them and move on to a newer model. And same with UNICEF. They've been photographing me and using me since the time I was a baby in a refugee camp. I remember getting those headshots taken and it made me feel, it's very dehumanizing. And so I wanted to show UNICEF, too. How does it feel to be used? It's not a good feeling. And so let's stop using people.</p> <p><strong>What are you going to do [next]?</strong></p> <p>For me right now, I don't know what's next. And that's OK. That's OK, because I'm young and I have time to figure it out. And I'm grateful. I'm grateful to the people that I've met. I'm grateful to the agents that I worked with. I'm grateful for the experiences I was able to have these last four years. But at the same time, I just am also grateful that I don't have to do that anymore because it was in direct conflict with who I am as an individual, as a human being. </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=%27I%27m+Not+A+Cover+Girl%27%3A+Halima+Aden+On+Why+She+Decided+To+Leave+A+Modeling+Career&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/02/16/96676/i-m-not-a-cover-girl-halima-aden-on-why-she-decide/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Tue, 16 Feb 2021 04:20:22 -0800 'Not Broken But Simply Unfinished': Poet Amanda Gorman Calls For A Better America https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/01/20/96243/not-broken-but-simply-unfinished-poet-amanda-gorma/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/01/20/96243/not-broken-but-simply-unfinished-poet-amanda-gorma/ Camila Domonoske | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/4bf00283e7209dae0c2ac27c2fc73bad/231021-small.jpg" width="4030" height="2267" alt="Poet Amanda Gorman speaks at the inauguration of U.S. President Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday." /> <p><i>Poet Amanda Gorman speaks at the inauguration of U.S. President Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images</i></p> <p><address>Camila Domonoske | NPR</address></p><p>When Amanda Gorman, a 22-year-old poet from Los Angeles, took to the stage on Wednesday, it was immediately clear why the new president had chosen her as his inaugural poet.</p> <p>Gorman echoed, in dynamic and propulsive verse, the same themes that Biden has returned to again and again and that he wove throughout his inaugural address: unity, healing, grief and hope, the painful history of American experience and the redemptive power of American ideals. </p> <p>Where Biden said, "We must end this uncivil war," Gorman declared, "We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another." </p> <p>And where Biden called for an American story of "love and healing" and "greatness and goodness," Gorman saw strength in pain: "Even as we grieved, we grew," she said.</p> <p>Gorman opened by acknowledging the reasons why hope can be challenging. "Where can we find light in this never-ending shade?" she asked.</p> <p>But she continued: "And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow we do it. Somehow we weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken but simply unfinished." </p> <p>She acknowledged the power of her own presence on the stage in "a country and a time where a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one." </p> <p>Like Obama inaugural poet Richard Blanco, who invoked the grand sweep of American geography in a call for unity in <a href="https://poets.org/poem/one-today">"One Today,"</a> Gorman dedicated a portion to "every corner called our country" from the South to the Midwest. She ended with an invitation to "step out of the shade." </p> <p>"The new dawn blooms as we free it," she said. "For there is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it – if only we are brave enough to be it." </p> <p>Gorman was following in the footsteps of poets like Blanco, Robert Frost and Maya Angelou as she composed the poem "The Hill We Climb" for the inauguration.</p> <p>She also took her cues from orators like Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. — people who knew a thing or two about calling for hope and unity in times of despair and division. </p> <p><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2021/01/19/958077401/history-has-its-eyes-on-us-poet-amanda-gorman-seeks-right-words-for-inauguration">Gorman told NPR</a> she dug into the works of those speakers (and Winston Churchill, too) to study up on ways "rhetoric has been used for good." Over the past few weeks, she composed a poem that acknowledges the previous president's incitement of violence, but turns toward hope. </p> <p>"The Hill We Climb" reads, in part: </p> <p></p><blockquote> <p>We've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it,</p> <p>Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.</p> <p>And this effort very nearly succeeded.</p> <p>But while democracy can be periodically delayed,</p> <p>It can never be permanently defeated.</p> <p> In this truth, in this faith, we trust. </p> <p>For while we have our eyes on the future, </p> <p>history has its eyes on us. </p> <p></p> </blockquote> <p>Gorman, like Biden, had a speech impediment as a child. (Biden had a stutter; Gorman had difficulty pronouncing certain sounds.) She told NPR's Steve Inskeep that her speech impediment was one reason she was drawn to poetry at a young age. </p> <p>"Having an arena in which I could express my thoughts freely was just so liberating that I fell head over heels, you know, when I was barely a toddler," she said. </p> <p>For Gorman, a former National Youth Poet Laureate, her struggle to speak provided a connection not only to the incoming president, but also to previous inaugural poets, too.</p> <p>"Maya Angelou was mute growing up as a child and she grew up to deliver the inaugural poem for President Bill Clinton," she says. "So I think there is a real history of orators who have had to struggle with a type of imposed voicelessness, you know, having that stage in the inauguration." </p> <p>Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy were the only presidents in the past who chose to have poems read at their inaugurations. You can read all the previous poems <a href="https://lithub.com/read-every-presidential-inauguration-poem-ever-performed-there-are-fewer-than-you-think/">here</a>. </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=%27Not+Broken+But+Simply+Unfinished%27%3A+Poet+Amanda+Gorman+Calls+For+A+Better+America&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/01/20/96243/not-broken-but-simply-unfinished-poet-amanda-gorma/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Wed, 20 Jan 2021 11:20:08 -0800 Seesaws Built On U.S. Border Wall Win Prestigious Design Prize https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/01/19/96224/seesaws-built-on-u-s-border-wall-win-prestigious-d/ https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/01/19/96224/seesaws-built-on-u-s-border-wall-win-prestigious-d/ Bill Chappell | NPR <img src="https://a.scpr.org/i/7970d3dd4b524a4762a16a04d0ea173e/230994-small.jpg" width="5472" height="3644" alt="American and Mexican families play with a seesaw installation at the border near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in July 2019. London's Design Museum recognized the project with an award for best design of 2020." /> <p><i>American and Mexican families play with a seesaw installation at the border near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in July 2019. London's Design Museum recognized the project with an award for best design of 2020.; Credit: Luis Torres/AFP via Getty Images</i></p> <p><address>Bill Chappell | NPR</address></p><p>An art project that turned the border wall at the U.S.-Mexico border into the temporary base for pink seesaws – inviting children on each side to come play together – has won the London's Design Museum award for best design of 2020.</p> <p>"We are totally surprised by this unexpected honor," <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKOTVgDhxFv/">said Ronald Rael</a>, who designed the project with fellow architect Virginia San Fratello. They share the award, he said, with the Ciudad Juárez, Mexico-based art collective Colectivo Chopeke. </p> <p>"That's amazing," San Fratello said in a video feed announcing the prize. The seesaw installation won both the overall prize and in the transportation category. </p> <p>"Most importantly, it comes at a time when we are hopeful for change and that we start building more bridges instead of walls," Rael added.</p> <p>"The <a href="https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/beazley-designs-of-the-year">Beazley Designs of the Year</a> are the Oscars of the design world," said Razia Iqbal, a journalist who chaired the Design Museum's panel of judges. The award, she noted, highlights work that pushes boundaries of creativity and innovation.</p> <p>The metal wall was meant to be a stark barrier dividing the U.S. and Mexico, the centerpiece of President Trump's aggressive immigration policies. But in one spot, it became a junction point instead – a fulcrum for a series of seesaws that let children in the two countries share a playground toy. </p> <p>The project, officially named Teeter-Totter Wall, was <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/07/30/746612462/see-saw-diplomacy-lets-people-play-together-along-u-s-border-wall">first installed in July 2019</a> when workers slid steel beams through the slats of the border near El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez.</p> <p>"For the first time, children from both El Paso, Texas, and the Anapra community in Mexico were invited to connect with their [neighbors], in an attempt to create unity at the politically divisive border," the museum said. </p> <p>"Everyone was very happy and excited to engage the seesaws," Rael told NPR at the time. The installation went smoothly, turning an idea that had been growing for 10 years into a reality. </p> <p>"It was peaceful and fun — a day at a park for the children and mothers of Anapra," Rael said.</p> <p>"The project resonated with people around the world in a way that we didn't anticipate," San Fratello said when the award was announced. "It speaks to the fact that most people are excited about being together, and about optimism and about possibility and the future. And the divisiveness actually comes from the minority." </p> <p>Rael is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley; San Fratello teaches at San José State University.</p> <p>The seesaw project was chosen out of more than 70 nominees from dozens of countries, including a customized "<a href="https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/beazley-designs-of-the-year/fashion/stormzys-stab-proof-vest">stab-proof vest</a>" that the artist Banksy designed for musician Stormzy. </p> <p>Also considered: the <a href="https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/beazley-designs-of-the-year/graphics/3d-rendering-of-sars-cov-2">gray and red rendering of SARS-CoV-2</a>, the virus that causes COVID-19. Commissioned by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and designed by Alissa Eckert and Dan Higgins, the famous sphere, with its menacing clusters of crowns, won the design award in the graphics category.</p> <p>The Impossible Burger 2.0 won in the crowded <a href="https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/beazley-designs-of-the-year/product">product category</a>, which also included Lego Braille bricks and a self-sanitizing door handle. </p> Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.<img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&amp;utmdt=Seesaws+Built+On+U.S.+Border+Wall+Win+Prestigious+Design+Prize&amp;utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004)"> <p><a href="https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/01/19/96224/seesaws-built-on-u-s-border-wall-win-prestigious-d/">This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.</a></p> Tue, 19 Jan 2021 12:40:12 -0800