WASHINGTON - For nearly seven years, actor David Strathairn has committed himself to telling the story of Jan Karski, a World War II hero who, for decades after the war, refused to tell it himself. A diplomat recruited as a messenger for the Polish underground, Karski remained traumatized for the rest of his life by his inability to convince the Allies of the magnitude of the Holocaust atrocities he had witnessed. Strathairn has been waging a campaign to illuminate Karski's courageous acts from the stage in "Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski," a show first developed at Georgetown University that has since toured and now returns to the campus. The production has become a mission for Strathairn, who has often appeared in serious plays but made his name in prestige movies such as "Good Night, and Good Luck," for which he received an Oscar nomination, and the more recent "Nomadland." It's a project with deep roots at Georgetown. The script was written by Derek Goldman, chairman … [Read more...] about David Strathairn speaks for a Holocaust hero. It’s time to listen.
Blackstone tops oxford in fresh bid for investa fund
Dear Brit: ‘What Can I Do to Help My Business Grow?’
Brit Morin was 25 when she left Google to start Brit + Co , a lifestyle and education company aimed at helping women cultivate creative confidence. Now — 10 years, $50 million in funding and 1.2 billion pageviews later — Morin’s passion is empowering more women to take the entrepreneurial leap. She’s a managing partner at VC fund Offline Ventures, host of iHeartRadio podcast Teach Me Something New , creator of Selfmade, a 10-week start-your-own-business course for women founders, and most recently — Entrepreneur advice columnist. Find her here answering the most personal and pressing questions of women entrepreneurs . Have a question for Brit? Email it to [email protected] , and she could answer it in an upcoming column! I feel stuck in my business. What can I do to help it grow? Feeling stuck in your biz can be super uncomfortable, but it's also an opportunity to take a step back and reevaluate what is and isn't working. Depending on the specifics of what … [Read more...] about Dear Brit: ‘What Can I Do to Help My Business Grow?’
They all starred in ‘Godspell’ – then they became comedy legends
They all still remember when Gilda Radner sang "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." It was the final callback auditions for a 1972 production of "Godspell," and the Stephen Schwartz musical about ragtag, hippie disciples of Jesus was the most sought-after gig in Toronto, hot off its off-Broadway success the year before. Eugene Levy sat in the auditorium near his college buddy Martin Short, whom he introduced to his friend Andrea Martin. Victor Garber brought a guitar. Paul Shaffer was there to accompany two auditioners on piano. This improbable lineup of ambitious 20-somethings would all end up onstage at the June 1 opening night, before they became famous through Second City, "Saturday Night Live," "SCTV," movies, Broadway and more. For several, "Godspell" at the Royal Alexandra Theatre was their first major job, the moment that nudged their life's trajectory toward show-business stardom. They formed relationships that have lasted 50 years - all while in a musical that is literally about … [Read more...] about They all starred in ‘Godspell’ – then they became comedy legends
Somi pays tribute to Miriam Makeba, on album and on stage
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 Miriam Makeba was one of Africa's first global stars. Her debut in Lionel Rogosin's "Come Back, Africa" in 1959 garnered critical acclaim and top honors at the Venice Film Festival and brought worldwide attention to her and her native South Africa. Her eponymous release a year later also allowed Makeba to push African identity to the forefront of world music, from donning natural hairstyles to popularizing Xhosa with her rendition of "Qongqothwane (The Click Song)." Widely known as "Mama Africa," she made music to directly tackle the plight of Black South Africans. As her political activism grew (she made an impassioned speech before the United Nations in 1963), Makeba continued to use her stardom as a platform to call out injustice against Black people everywhere. This, however, came at a considerable price. Not only was she exiled from South Africa until apartheid's dissolution, but a … [Read more...] about Somi pays tribute to Miriam Makeba, on album and on stage
Biden, after months focused on Ukraine, makes first trip to Asia
For almost three months, President Joe Biden and his top foreign policy aides have been immersed in the Russian war in Ukraine, wrestling with how to punish Moscow and bolster the beleaguered Ukrainians. On Thursday, Biden embarks on his first trip to Asia, hoping to reassure Asian allies that the United States is not too preoccupied with Ukraine to take a leading role in blunting the influence of China. Biden has called China America's chief global competitor. As the war in Ukraine settles into what may be a long slog, Biden is seeking to show that his administration can multitask when it comes to leading coalitions against aggressive superpowers. Biden lands in South Korea on Friday and heads to Japan three days later. "I think both countries are naturally worried - not because they doubt U.S. desire or U.S. aspiration, but more about the bandwidth the U.S. really has," said Yun Sun, co-director of the East Asia Program at the Stimson Center, a foreign affairs think tank. … [Read more...] about Biden, after months focused on Ukraine, makes first trip to Asia
Pentagon spokesman Kirby moving to White House in senior communications role
WASHINGTON - Pentagon spokesman John Kirby will move to the White House in a senior communications role, according to two people familiar with the personnel move. Kirby's move to the White House comes after Karine Jean-Pierre took over as White House press secretary from Jen Psaki, who left the administration last week. Kirby met with President Joe Biden at the White House the day after he offered the press secretary job to Jean-Pierre. Kirby's exact title and role remain unclear. Some in the White House said Kirby would make regular appearances at the daily press briefing, while others said he would not share duties with Jean-Pierre and only appear alongside her. Kirby is expected to be heavily involved in White House communications, including working closely with the National Security Council. Kirby, who has served as the top spokesperson for the Defense Department since the start of the administration, has impressed White House officials with his briefings, particularly … [Read more...] about Pentagon spokesman Kirby moving to White House in senior communications role
5 Practical Steps to Help Your Company Survive ‘The Great Resignation’ (and Beyond)
Workers had one thing to say to their employers at the end of 2021: We quit. With the nation's “ quit rate ” reaching a 20-year high last November, you may be searching for ways to retain top talent. You know you have to implement a killer employee retention strategy, and fast, but how do you know what will work? It’s not easy to keep employees on board, but it can be done. Through our calculated retention strategy, my company hasn’t had an employee quit since 2016. That’s right — we made it through " The Great Resignation " without bidding farewell to a single employee. Here are some best practices for retaining employees long term. 1. Embrace flexibility People not only want flexible jobs but have come to expect them. A recent study revealed that nearly 40% of job candidates worldwide said schedule flexibility is one of the top three factors they consider when making career decisions. If you want to recruit and retain top talent, offering workplace flexibility is … [Read more...] about 5 Practical Steps to Help Your Company Survive ‘The Great Resignation’ (and Beyond)
The U.S. census estimates it missed more than a half-million Texans during 2020 count
Tripped up by politics and the pandemic — and with only a last-minute investment in promotion by the state — the 2020 census likely undercounted the Texas population by roughly 2%, the U.S. Census Bureau said Thursday. The once-a-decade national count put Texas’ official population at 29,145,505 after it gained the most residents of any state in the last decade, earning two additional congressional seats. In a post-count analysis using survey results from households, the bureau estimated that the count for people living in Texas households — a slightly smaller population than the total population — failed to find more than half a million residents. That’s the equivalent of missing the entire populations of Lubbock, Laredo and then some. The undercount means that many residents were missing from the data used by state lawmakers last year to redraw congressional and legislative districts to distribute political power. For the next decade, the undercount will also be baked into the … [Read more...] about The U.S. census estimates it missed more than a half-million Texans during 2020 count
Mercedes Confirms Maybach SL And Plans To Axe Some Compact Cars
Listen to this article In a bid to become "the world's most valuable luxury car brand," Mercedes is overhauling its product portfolio by splitting models into three categories: Entry Luxury, Core Luxury, and Top-End Luxury. There will be considerably less focus on compact cars going forward as the plan calls for more than 75 percent of investments to be made in the bigger and more expensive vehicles, which we all know have higher profit margins. To that end, the German automaker will cut down on the number of Entry Luxury model variants from seven to four. However, Mercedes doesn't go into details about which compact vehicles are facing the proverbial axe. We'll remind you the three-pointed star sells the following small cars: A-Class hatchback, A-Class sedan, B-Class minivan, CLA swoopy sedan, CLA Shooting Brake wagon, and the GLA and GLB crossovers. 63 Photos … [Read more...] about Mercedes Confirms Maybach SL And Plans To Axe Some Compact Cars