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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

Scam gang suspects, mostly illegal Chinese, cover their faces as they are rounded up at a hotel in Fang district of Chiang Mai yesterday morning. police photo Chiang Mai: Twenty-four suspected "hybrid" scammers, most of them Chinese nationals, were arrested yesterday in Fang district, said police inspector-general Pol Gen Wissanu Prasartthong-osod. The suspects were busted at a resort in tambon Mae Soon, said Pol Gen Wissanu, who also heads the Royal Thai Police's Combating Transnational Criminals and Illegal Immigrants Centre (CTIC). Of them, 20 were Chinese nationals, one Thai and three stateless people. They were allegedly hired to run a romance-cum-investment scam preying on Thais and foreign nationals, particularly Japanese. Seized from them were 10 computer notebooks, 20 computer screens, 10 central processing units (CPUs), 244 mobile phones ready for use, six SIM cards and two thumb drives. Pol Gen Wissanu said the police were tipped off that the suspects were … [Read more...] about Police bust gang of online romance scammers

Click here to read the full article. This spring, six months after a crowd rush at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival killed 10 people in Houston and injured hundreds of others, the live-music business is getting ready for another festival season — its first full-scale comeback since the pandemic sidelined concerts in 2020. While the specific legal ramifications of the tragedy remain mired in litigation at press time, several broader questions for the industry continue to loom. Chief among them: Are music festivals safe, and how does the festival business ensure such a tragedy never happens again? It will likely be years before the public gets the clearest picture of what exactly went wrong at Astroworld, but those in the live business have seen it as either a perfect storm of circumstances and bad luck that lined up for a one-off tragedy or a sign of deeper problems that could have happened at any other festival. The answer is complicated, and likely somewhere in … [Read more...] about Are Big Concerts Safe? Six Months After Astroworld, Questions Linger

A jolt went through Washington when the news broke just before noon on Jan. 26 that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer would retire at the end of the current term. But there was little surprise when it was revealed who had the scoop: NBC News correspondent Pete Williams. Since joining the network in 1993, the Justice Department and Supreme Court reporter has distinguished himself as one of the best on the beat, lending deep inside sourcing and a steady on-camera presence to the coverage of some of the most momentous legal developments in recent history - such as the court's decision upholding the Affordable Care Act in 2012. After nearly three decades at the network, Williams, 70, has decided to retire at the end of July, NBC News president Noah Oppenheim announced to employees Thursday morning. His departure will mark the end of an unusual Washington career trajectory. Williams, a former local TV news reporter, first came to national prominence as a Pentagon spokesman under … [Read more...] about Pete Williams to retire from NBC News after epic Washington career

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 SLIDELL, La. - Tuesdays she asked for the needle in her left arm, and one afternoon in late April, Christina Seal, 41, arrived at the clinic after work. The parking lot was almost full, as usual. She had been giving plasma for nearly six months, and she had a routine locked in place. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Two Sam's Club protein shakes and an iron supplement a day to keep herself serviceable. Afterward, vitamin E oil on her skin to prevent needle scars. The routine had helped tame into normalcy what at first had felt so bizarre. "I never thought I would be in a position where I would have to sell my plasma to feed my children," she would say later. This was where inflation had driven Seal. A month earlier, the Bureau of Labor Statistics had announced that prices had risen 8.5% over the past year, the largest annual jump since December 1981. Fuel, food and housing costs … [Read more...] about A Louisiana teacher seeks to survive inflation, one plasma donation at a time

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday he was ”confident that we will come to a quick decision to welcome both Sweden and Finland to join the NATO family” despite Turkey’s opposition to the two Nordic countries joining the 30-member military alliance. Stoltenberg would not be drawn out further on the substance of Turkey’s objections, but he said that NATO remains in close contact with Sweden, Finland and Turkey. “We are addressing the concerns that Turkey has expressed. Because when an important ally (like) Turkey raises security concerns, raises issues, then of course the only way to deal with that is to sit down and find common ground,” he told reporters. Finland and Sweden officially applied to join the world’s biggest security organization on Wednesday. A first meeting of NATO ambassadors to discuss their applications … [Read more...] about NATO chief: Dispute over Sweden, Finland will be resolved

The ownership of property has been a game of written rules and regulations, determined by a judge or court. Now things are different, as the old-world is giving way to the new and digital age. A blockchain ecosystem provides ownership rights efficiently, eliminating the paperwork, bureaucracy and expense while guaranteeing transparency. These are tenets that everyone can accept peacefully and confidently. What is a blockchain transaction? A blockchain transaction is a digital transaction that is recorded on a public ledger. This ledger is distributed across a network of computers, so it is not controlled by any one central authority. A blockchain transaction is verified by the network of computers, so it is very secure. Blockchain transactions are transparent and cannot be tampered with. This makes them ideal for real estate transactions, which are often very complex and involve many different parties. With blockchain, all parties can see the status of the transaction at all … [Read more...] about Blockchain Technology is Revolutionizing the Real Estate Industry

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)

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 8 Who wouldn't want to go shopping alongside an interior designer? Although it's true that pros generally purchase most furniture and other decorative items from trade-specific vendors, many also rely on tried-and-true retailers accessible to the general public. We asked 11 designers to share their favorite pieces that anyone can buy, and why those items never let them down. Here are their picks. - Case goods Why not invest in a piece that can serve multiple purposes? Designer Peti Lau likes the Channing three-drawer console table from Jonathan Adler ($1,995, jonathanadler.com), because, with its drawers and narrow footprint, it can "function either as a desk or a console." "I like the simple white lacquer and silver metal finishes, which give it a more timeless look," says Lau, who does work in Los Angeles, New York, London and Thailand. - Lighting … [Read more...] about The 11 home pieces designers can’t stop using