During an era when the Yankees won the World Series so routinely it was joked that rooting for them was like rooting for General Motors, their ace pitcher owned the most fitting nickname: “The Chairman of the Board.”Whitey Ford, the street-smart New Yorker who had the best winning percentage of any pitcher in the 20th century and helped the Yankees become baseball’s perennial champions in the 1950s and ’60s, died Thursday night. He was 91.The team said Friday that the Hall of Famer died at his Long Island home in Lake Success, New York, while watching the Yankees in a playoff game. His wife of 69 years, Joan, and family members were with him.Ford had suffered from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease in recent years. His death was the latest this year of a number of baseball greats — Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock and Bob Gibson.On a franchise long defined by power hitters, Ford was considered its greatest starting pitcher. Not big and not overpowering, the wily left-hander played in the majors from 1950 to 1967, all with the Yankees, and teamed with the likes of Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra to win six championships.”If you were a betting man, and if he was out there pitching for you, you’d figure it was your day,” former teammate and World Series MVP Bobby Richardson told The Associated Press on Friday.Machinelike efficiencyFord won 236 games and lost just 106, a winning percentage of .690. He would help symbolize the almost machinelike efficiency of the Yankees in the mid-20th century, when only twice between Ford’s rookie year and 1964 did they fail to make the World Series.Edward Charles Ford was born on the East Side of Manhattan, about 100 blocks south of Yankee Stadium. He was nicknamed “Whitey” while still in the minor leagues, and quickly reached the mound at Yankee Stadium.The World Series record book is crowded with Ford’s accomplishments. His string of 33 consecutive scoreless innings from 1960 to 1962 broke a record of 29 2/3 innings set by Babe Ruth. Ford still holds records for World Series games and starts (22), innings pitched (146), wins (10) and strikeouts (94).Ford was in his mid-20s when he became the go-to guy in manager Casey Stengel’s rotation, the pitcher Stengel said he would always turn to if he absolutely needed to win one game. Ford was Stengel’s choice to pitch World Series openers eight times, another record.FILE – Whitey Ford of the New York Yankees as he pitched a five-hitter against the Chicago White Sox for his 13th victory of the year, July 4, 1963, in the first game of a doubleheader, in New York.Ford’s best seasons came in 1961 and 1963, amid a stretch of five straight American League pennants for the Yankees, when new manager Ralph Houk began using a four-man rotation instead of five. Ford led the league in victories with 25 in 1961, won the Cy Young Award and starred in the World Series. In 1963, he went 24-7, again leading the league in wins. Eight of his victories that season came in June.He also led the AL in earned-run average in 1956 (2.47) and 1958 (2.01) and was an All-Star in eight seasons.Ford was 10-8 with a 2.71 ERA overall in the World Series. His final appearance there came in the 1964 opener when he lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, who went on take the title behind Gibson.Ford was not a power pitcher. Instead he depended on guile and guts, rarely giving hitters the same look on consecutive pitches. He’d throw overhand sometimes, three-quarters other times, mixing curves and sliders in with his fastball and change-up.A few tricksFord would also acknowledge using some special methods to add movement to his pitches, including saliva, mud and dirt and cutting the ball with a ring.”If there are some pitchers doing it and getting away with it, that’s fine by me,” Ford told sportswriter Phil Pepe in 1987. “If it were me and I needed to cheat to be able to throw the good stuff that would keep me in the major leagues at a salary of about $800,000 a year, I’d do whatever I had to do.”After his retirement, Ford briefly worked as a broadcaster and opened a restaurant in Garden City, “Whitey Ford’s Cafe,” that closed within a year.Ford’s death leaves Bobby Brown, who won four Series titles with the Yankees in the 1940s and ’50s, as the last living link to prominent Yankees who played with both DiMaggio and Ford. Brown is 95.  In addition to his wife and son Eddie, Ford is survived by a daughter, Sally Ann; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Ford’s other son, Thomas, died in 1999.
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A new exhibition at the recently reopened National Museum of American History shows the challenges young woman face growing up in the United States. “Girlhood (It’s complicated)” showcases the lives of American girls who advocated for social change and shaped the country’s history. Karina Bafradzhian has the story.
Camera: David Gogokhia, Mike Maisuradze  
 
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“Sesame Street” has always pressed for inclusion. Now in the wake of the national reckoning on race, it’s going further — teaching children to stand up against racism.
Sesame Workshop — the nonprofit, educational organization behind “Sesame Street” — will later this month air the half-hour anti-racist special “The Power of We” and hopes families will watch together.
The special defines racism for younger viewers and shows how it can be hurtful. It urges children who encounter racism or hear someone else be the victim of it to call it out. “When you see something that’s wrong, speak up and say, ‘That’s wrong’ and tell an adult,” 6-year-old Gabrielle the Muppet advises.
The special, composed of little skits and songs in a Zoom-like format, will stream on HBO Max and the PBS 24/7 streaming channel Oct. 15, and air on PBS Kids the same day.
In one animated skit, a Black Muppet is told by a white Muppet that he can’t dress up like a superhero because they’re only white. Though hurt, the Black Muppet nevertheless refuses to stop playing superheroes, saying they can come in all colors. The white Muppet soon apologizes. “Racism hurts and it’s wrong,” is the message.
In the song “How Do You Know?” racism is dealt with head-on. “Hey, Elmo, how would you feel if I said, ‘I don’t like you ’cause I don’t like the color red?'” sings Tamir, a Black, 8-year-old Muppet. Elmo responds: “Elmo wouldn’t care what you said ’cause Elmo is proud, proud to be red!” It concludes with the lines: “Speak up. Say something. Don’t give in.”
“We believe that this moment calls for a direct discussion about racism to help children grasp the issues and teach them that they are never too young to be ‘upstanders’ for themselves, one another, and their communities,” said Kay Wilson Stallings, executive vice president of creative and production at Sesame Workshop, in a statement.
Current and former Sesame Street human cast members Alan, Charlie, Chris and Gordon take part in the special, alongside celebrity guests Yara Shahidi, the star of “grown-ish;” “Hamilton” star Christopher Jackson; and Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day.
Viewers are offered tips to help their communities unite, including chalk drawings, making positive signs and going to sing-a-longs. When outside, all the puppets wear masks, even the letter puppets. The special concludes with the slogan “Listen. Act. Unite.”
Sesame Workshop has included online resources for parents to help guide conversations with their child about race, including talking, singing and breathing together. “Sharing can help us feel better,” is one tip. There are also downloadable pictures to color and a certificate with a place to put the name of an upstander.
“Sesame Street,” which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, has a history of explaining the world to children, tackling everything from foster care to substance abuse. The latest special comes on the heels of “Sesame Street” contributing to “Coming Together: Standing Up To Racism,” a CNN town hall special in June hosted by Van Jones and Erica Hill.
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American poet Louise Glück has won this year’s Nobel Prize in literature.The Swedish Academy praised Glück’s “unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal.”Glück has published 12  poetry collections, and her previous honors include the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.The literature prize is just one of a group given out this week.  Each comes with a $1.1 million cash award.Friday brings the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize.The prize in chemistry was awarded to two scientists for developing a method of gene editing.Three scientists won the physics prize Wednesday for their discoveries related to black holes.  Three scientists also shared the medicine prize for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus.
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Somalia in September saw the opening of what is being touted as the country’s first independent, modern arts institution. The Somali Arts Foundation says it seeks to promote creativity and critical discussions on what it means to be a Somali. Mohamed Sheikh Nor reports from Mogadishu.  
Camera: Mohamed Sheikh Nor   Produced by: Rod James 
 
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A former tech executive was sentenced Monday to one year of home confinement for paying $300,000 to bribe his son’s way into Georgetown University as a tennis recruit, even though the son did not play tennis.
Peter Dameris, of Pacific Palisades, California, appeared before a Boston federal court judge via video because of the coronavirus pandemic. He pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.  
His sentence also included a $95,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 21 months of home confinement along with a fine of $95,000. Dameris’ lawyers asked for probation only, saying he deserved leniency to help care for a son who has leukemia.  
U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns said he took the medical considerations into account in the sentence, along with an “outpouring” of support from friends and family members who submitted letters to the court.
“I really feel for your family, and I understand your anguish,” Stearns told Dameris. “You have lived a good life, and I believe you deserve some reward for that.”
Speaking through tears, Dameris said he regrets his involvement in the scheme and takes full responsibility.
“I am enormously remorseful for the actions that have brought me before you today,” Dameris said. “My life’s sentence is, I am burdened with the memories of what I’ve done that has hurt my family and others.”
Dameris, the former CEO of technology services company ASGN Inc., joins dozens of parents and college coaches who have pleaded guilty in a sweeping nationwide college admissions scandal.
Prosecutors say Dameris agreed in 2015 to funnel the money through a sham charity set up by Rick Singer, the alleged ringleader of the scheme. Singer steered roughly half of the money to Georgetown’s former tennis coach, Gordon Ernst, who helped get Dameris’ son accepted as a tennis recruit, prosecutors say.
In court filings, Dameris apologized for influencing the admissions system but said he believed the money was going to Georgetown’s athletic programs. Prosecutors say there’s no evidence Dameris knew of any personal bribes to Ernst.
Singer pleaded guilty and is cooperating with the government’s investigation into what authorities have dubbed Operation Varsity Blues, a series of indictments that have rocked the worlds of higher education, sports and entertainment.
Ernst, who is accused of accepting $2.7 million in bribes, has pleaded not guilty. He resigned from Georgetown in 2018.
Dameris acknowledged that he later considered the scheme for his other son but did not follow through with it. Neither son was involved, and his son at Georgetown was allowed to stay and graduate.
More than 50 parents, coaches and others have been charged since investigators revealed the scheme last year. The parents paid hefty bribes to get their children into top universities with bogus test scores or fake athletic credentials, authorities say.
Prosecutors have pushed for prison time for most parents accused in the scheme, but they said home confinement was warranted in Dameris’ case because of his “unusual and compelling personal circumstances.”  
Others who have pleaded guilty include “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli. Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison as part of plea a deal, and Giannulli was ordered to five months. The couple admitted to paying half a million dollars in bribes to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as rowing recruits.
“Desperate Housewives” actress Felicity Huffman, also pleaded guilty for paying $15,000 to have someone rig her daughter’s college entrance exam. Huffman was sentenced to two weeks in prison.
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Legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who co-founded the influential rock band Van Halen, died Tuesday after a long battle with cancer at the age of 65. “I can’t believe I’m having to write this but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning,” his son Wolfgang Van Halen said Tuesday on Twitter. “He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift.” Wolfgang Van Halen toured as the bass player in recent years in Van Halen, a band known for songs such as “Panama,” “Jump,” and “Ain’t Talking About Love.”  FILE – Eddie Van Halen and Wolfgang Van Halen attend a press conference announcing the dates of “Van Halen’s” North American concert tour, Aug. 13, 2007.Eddie Van Halen also played guitar on pop star Michael Jackson’s mega hit song “Beat It.” The Dutch-born Eddie Van Halen and his brother Alex, a drummer, founded Van Halen in the early 1970s. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1978. It featured the blistering instrumental “Eruption” which highlighted Eddie Van Halen’s use of two-handed tapping, and the band’s cover of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.”   Van Halen went on to become one of the best-selling rock bands of all-time, led by the self-taught guitarist who revolutionized the instrument with his memorable guitar riffs, solos and use of harmonics. The band’s original lineup featured singer David Lee Roth and bass player Michael Anthony.  They recorded several successful albums together including the multi-platinum “1984.”  FILE – David Lee Roth, left, and Eddie Van Halen perform during U.S. Festival in Devore, Calif., May 29, 1983.After that record, the band parted ways with their lead singer and brought in Sammy Hagar.  They also toured with singer Gary Cherone before reuniting with Roth and playing shows across the country in 2012 and 2015, with a lineup that featured 3 original Van Halen members as well as Eddie’s son, Wolfgang.  Eddie Van Halen struggled with alcoholism but had been sober since 2008. He lost one-third of his tongue to cancer that eventually spread to his esophagus. Reaction from musicians Van Halen’s death prompted an outpouring of tributes from fellow musicians on social media. Lenny Kravitz said “Legendary guitar and musical innovator Edward Van Halen. 1955-2020. Heaven will be electric tonight.” Legendary guitar and musical innovator Edward Van Halen. 1955-2020. Heaven will be electric tonight. pic.twitter.com/hdLd7atI74— Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) October 6, 2020Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx said “RIP Eddie Van Halen. You changed our world. You were the Mozart of rock guitar. Travel safe rockstar.” Country artist Kenny Chesney said, “I am devastated at the news of the passing of my friend Eddie Van Halen.” I am devastated at the news of the passing of my friend Eddie Van Halen. pic.twitter.com/hUyIdKXsdG— Kenny Chesney (@kennychesney) October 6, 2020Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist Flea said, “I love you Eddie Van Halen, an LA boy, a true rocker. I hope you jam with Jimi (Hendrix) tonight. Break through to the other side my brother.”Oh man, bless his beautiful creative heart. I love you Eddie Van Halen, an LA boy, a true rocker. I hope you jam with Jimi tonight. Break through to the other side my brother. ❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/XpcTlPJq9A— Flea (@flea333) October 6, 2020 
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Warner Bros. film studios said it will delay the release of its “Dune” and “The Batman” movies, setting back an entertainment industry already struggling to survive because of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and social distancing measures that have closed theaters worldwide.Two weeks ago, Disney postponed the release of “Black Widow” and a couple other films to 2021 drawing varied responses from fans across the U.S. on social media.This fresh announcement comes after Cineworld Group, the world’s second-biggest movie theater chain, said it would close its British and U.S. theaters, blaming the reluctance of studios to go ahead with major releases for the decision.AMC Entertainment, the world’s No.1 chain, said on Tuesday that most of its theaters in the United States and Europe would remain open as it looks forward to screening a number of upcoming releases, including this weekend’s new films “The War With Grandpa,” starring Robert De Niro, and “Yellow Rose.”Warner Bros. said late Monday that its sci-fi pic “Dune,” directed by Canadian Dennis Villeneuve, is now scheduled to open in October 2021, instead of December. The release of “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson, has been moved to the spring of 2022 from October of next year.Earlier, the filming of “The Batman” was shut down for two weeks after a member of the production staff tested positive for the new coronavirus. Filming resumed in Britain last month and Warner Bros. never confirmed or denied reports of Pattinson’s diagnosis.The studio also pushed back its “Matrix” sequel to Dec. 2021.Now, only a few big films are still set to open in 2020: Pixar’s “Soul,” on Nov. 20, Universal’s “The Croods: A New Age,” on Nov. 25, Disney’s “Death on the Nile,” on Dec. 18 and Warner Bros.’ “Wonder Woman 1984,” at Christmas. 
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British rock band Led Zeppelin on Monday effectively won a long-running legal battle over claims it stole the opening guitar riff from its signature 1971 song Stairway to Heaven. The band, one of the best-selling rock acts of all time, was handed victory after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case, meaning that a March 2020 decision by a U.S. appeals court in Led Zeppelin’s favor will stand. Lead singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page had been accused in the six-year-long case of lifting the riff — one of the best-known openings in rock music — from a song called “Taurus,” written by the late Randy Wolfe of the U.S. band, Spirit. Wolfe, who performed as Randy California, drowned in 1997, and the case was brought by a trustee for his estate. It has been one of the music industry’s most closely watched copyright cases, potentially exposing Plant and Page to millions of dollars in damages. Led Zeppelin was the opening act for Spirit on a U.S. tour in 1968, but Page testified in a 2016 jury trial in Los Angeles that he had not heard Taurus until recently. The Los Angeles jury found the riff they were accused of stealing was not intrinsically similar to the opening chords of Stairway to Heaven. Francis Malofiy, who represented Wolfe’s estate, said on Monday that Led Zeppelin “won on a technicality” and said that the lawsuit had accomplished its goal. “Today, the world knows that 1. Randy California wrote the introduction to Stairway to Heaven; 2. Led Zeppelin are the greatest art thieves of all time; and 3. Courts are as imperfect as rock stars,” Malofiy said in a statement. Led Zeppelin has yet to comment on the conclusion of the case. 
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The new horror film “Antebellum,” by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, is the latest of several Black horror films addressing race relations in the United States. Filmmakers and critics weigh in on the film and on what defines the Black horror genre. VOA’s Penelope Poulou has more.   
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Kenya hosted (Oct 3-4) its first social-distance culture and music event where people enjoyed live bands while they could sit in their vehicles so there is less risk of spreading COVID-19.  The Kikwetu festival aims to bring Kenyans together, despite the pandemic, to celebrate the country’s cultural diversity.  Mohammed Yusuf reports from Nairobi
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Kenzo Takada, the iconic Franco-Japanese fashion designer famed for his jungle-infused designs and free-spirited aesthetic that channeled global travel, has died. He was 81.The family said in a statement to French media Sunday that Takada died from complications from COVID-19 in a hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris. A public relations officer for Kenzo’s brand confirmed that Takada died, but didn’t give a cause of death.”It is with immense sadness that KENZO has learned of the passing of our founder,” the fashion house said in a statement. “For half a century, Mr. Takada has been an emblematic personality in the fashion industry — always infusing creativity and color into the world.”Though Takada had been retired from his house since 1999 to pursue a career in art, Kenzo remains one of the most respected fixtures of the high Paris fashion. Since 1993, the brand Kenzo has been owned owned by the French luxury goods company LVMH. The current designer and artistic director, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, unveiled Kenzo’s spring-summer 2020 to fashion editors on Wednesday.”His amazing energy, kindness, talent and smile were contagious,” Oliveira Baptista said. “His kindred spirit will live forever.”Kenzo’s styles used bold color, clashing prints and were inspired by travels all over the world.”Kenzo Takada has, from the 1970s, infused into fashion a tone of poetic lightness and sweet freedom which inspired many designers after him,” said Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH.Takada was born on Feb. 27, 1939, in Himeji, in the Hyogo Prefecture in Japan to hoteliers, but after reading his sisters’ fashion magazines his love of fashion began.Studying at the Bunka College of Fashion in Tokyo, Kenzo Takada had a brief stint working in Japan, before relocating to Paris in 1965, to work as a freelance designer.In Paris, he took over a boutique in 1970 which served crystallized his future ready-to-wear aesthetic, and was inspired in its decoration by the jungle scenes of painter Henri Rousseau, which he merged with Asian styles. It became influential.  But it was lowly beginnings: Takada’s first collection at the store called was made entirely out of cotton because he had little money. But the clothes spoke for themselves and a model of his was put on the cover of Elle magazine. A short time after, pioneering shoulder forms, large armholes, dungarees, smock tent dresses, innovative shoulder shapes, and his store was featured in US Vogue. Kenzo showed collections in New York and Tokyo in 1971.Yves Saint Laurent was an important inspiration, in his work, Takada has said. Takada shared Saint Laurent’s penchant for theatrics. in 1978 and 1979, he showed in a circus tent, and it featured himself riding an elephant, and performers rode horses wearing see-through uniforms.Takada’s love of travel and use of ethnic influences were strong features in his three decades atop his house.His contribution to style was significant. He championed a youthful aesthetic and unstructured form, and did away with zippers to liberate silhouettes. His signatures were of wider sleeves and arm holes, that harked to historic styles in his home continent of Asia. 
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Leaders and activists warned Thursday of a global pushback against women’s rights, 25 years after a landmark conference in Beijing that set out an ambitious agenda for women’s equality.“We need to start now, with your excellencies’ commitments at this commemoration, to recapture and ‘fast forward’ from the modest gains made since 1995 that are now under threat,” Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive director of U.N. Women, told leaders joining the virtual conference. “We need big bold steps, not incremental ones.”She said that while the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action had led to major advances — including 274 legal and regulatory reforms in 131 countries — significant gaps remained, including in achieving gender parity in representation from the boardroom to the peace table, as well as in wages.“It’s time to bring an end to discriminatory laws, norms and homophobia, to end men’s violence against women and girls, and make a concerted effort to put women at the heart of climate justice,” she added.Twenty-five years after the Beijing conference, advocates noted that no country has achieved full gender equality.In 1995, when the declaration was signed in Beijing, there were 12 female heads of state of government. Today, there are only 22 among 193 countries.German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Aug. 19, 2020.“These days, the very states that are successful, economically and socially, as well as in terms of peaceful conflict resolution, are often those where women are among those shouldering responsibility,” said one of those leaders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel.President Emmanuel Macron of France lamented that in the current global climate, the 1995 Beijing Declaration would not find the consensus to be adopted in 2020.“That is where we are collectively,” he said. “Everywhere, women’s rights are under attack, as are human rights, from which they are inseparable. Progress achieved by great efforts is being undermined even in our democracies, starting with the freedom for women to control their own bodies, and in particular, the right to abortion.”French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during the closing press conference at the G5 Sahel summit on June 30, 2020, in Nouakchott.Data from the U.N. Population Fund show that only 55% of women worldwide are able to make their own decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and contraception.Women and girls also face inequalities in access to education. Twelve million girls under age 18 see their education end each year with forced marriage. Others are subjected to the harmful practice of female genital mutilation. One in three women will experience some form of violence in her lifetime.Women also have been particularly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.Ethiopia’s first female President Sahle-Work Zewde delivers a speech at the Parliament in Addis Ababa, Oct. 25, 2018.“While women are in the front lines fighting against this pandemic, they are also being pushed to the edges because of its multifaceted impacts,” said Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde. “In much of the developing world, we know women depend on the informal economy to earn their living, and they find themselves in extremely difficult condition to sustain the lives and well-being of their families.”The pandemic has also made women and girls more vulnerable to domestic violence. U.N. Women says only 48 countries treat violence against women and girls-related services as integral parts of their national and local COVID-19 response plans, with very few adequately funding these measures.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during an interview with Reuters at U.N. headquarters in New York City, Sept. 14, 2020.“Unless we act now, COVID-19 could wipe out a generation of fragile progress toward gender equality,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned. “COVID-19 is a catastrophe, but it is also an opportunity for transformative thinking that puts women front and center of the response and the recovery.”Participants called for a recommitment to the Beijing Declaration’s principles, and the necessary policy changes, partnerships and investments to realize the goals.
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Chrissy Teigen said she and John Legend are in “deep pain” following her miscarriage, which she announced in a heart wrenching social media post.
Teigen wrote that they were “driving home from the hospital with no baby. This is unreal.”
“We are shocked and in the kind of deep pain you only hear about, the kind of pain we’ve never felt before. We were never able to stop the bleeding and give our baby the fluids he needed, despite bags and bags of blood transfusions. It just wasn’t enough,” she wrote in a post late Wednesday, alongside a picture of herself in tears on a hospital bed. Another image showed her and Legend grieving together over a bundle cradled in her arms.
Revealing they had chosen the name Jack, the model and the musician wrote of their love for their lost son, who would have been their third child.
“To our Jack – I’m so sorry that the first few moments of your life were met with so many complications, that we couldn’t give you the home you needed to survive. We will always love you,” she wrote.
Legend retweeted her post, adding “We love you, Jack.”
Teigen announced she was pregnant with her third child in August. She had been been hospitalized with excessive bleeding earlier in the week.
Thanking those who have been sending “positive energy, thoughts and prayers,” Teigen concluded, “We are so grateful for the life we have, for our wonderful babies Luna and Miles, for all the amazing things we’ve been able to experience. But everyday can’t be full of sunshine. On this darkest of days, we will grieve, we will cry our eyes out. But we will hug and love each other harder and get through it.”
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Is dislodging African artwork from a European museum a political statement, or a criminal act? That’s the question a French court weighed Wednesday in an emotionally charged trial centered around a Congolese activist campaigning to take back art he says was plundered by colonizers.
“It belongs to us!” shouted a Black woman watching the trial, breaking down in tears and storming out after a lawyer for Paris’ Quai Branly Museum insisted that its holdings — including tens of thousands of artworks from former colonies — belong to the French state.
Congo-born Emery Mwazulu Diyabanza and four other activists went on trial on attempted theft charges for removing a 19th century African funeral pole from its perch in the museum in a June protest livestreamed on Facebook. Guards quickly stopped them; the activists argue that they never planned to steal the work but just wanted to call attention to its origins.
Lurking beneath nearly every exchange in the courtroom was the question of whether and how former empires should atone for colonial-era wrongs. The question took on new urgency after this year’s global protests against racial injustice unleashed by George Floyd’s death in the U.S. at the knee of a white policeman.
Diyabanza seized on that mood and has staged three livestreamed museum protests  in recent months — in Paris, Marseille and the Netherlands.
French officials denounced the Quai Branly incident, saying it threatens ongoing negotiations with African countries launched by President Emmanuel Macron in 2018 for legal, organized restitution efforts.
If convicted of attempted group theft of a historical object, Diyabanza could face up to 10 years in prison and a 150,000 euro fine ($173,000). However, the lawyer for the French state did not ask for prison time, demanding only modest fines. A verdict is scheduled Oct. 14.
Diyabanza defended what he called a “political act” and said it’s about time that Africans, Latin Americans and other colonized communities take back ill-gotten treasures. He accuses European museums of making millions on artworks taken from now-impoverished countries like Congo, and said the pole, which came from current-day Chad, should be among works returned to Africa.
“We are the legitimate heirs of these works,” he said. But he insisted that “appropriation wasn’t my goal. … The aim was to mark the symbolism of the liberation of these works.”
The presiding judge asked the activists why they thought they had the right to take the law into their own hands. He insisted that the trial should focus on the specific funeral pole incident and that his court wasn’t competent to judge France’s colonial era as a whole.
Quai Branly lawyer Yvon Goutal argued that because of the discussions underway between France and African governments, “there is no need for this political act.” The French state “is very committed to this, and serious” about following through, he said. The prosecutor said the activists should have made their point via more peaceful means.
Defense lawyer Hakim Chergui argued that it shouldn’t have taken this many decades after African countries’ independence to settle the issue. He choked up when talking about the skulls of Algerian 19th century resistance fighters long held as trophies in a French museum and returned to his native Algeria this year.
“There is a frustration in the population that is growing, growing, growing,” he said, calling Wednesday’s proceedings “a trial of the colonial continuum.”
Applause and boos periodically interrupted the proceedings. A crowd of supporters shouted in anger at not being able to enter the small, socially distanced courtroom, and judges sent Diyabanza to calm them down.
The Quai Branly Museum, on the banks of the Seine River near the Eiffel Tower, was built under former French President Jacques Chirac to showcase non-European art, notably from ex-French colonies.
A 2018 study commissioned by Macron recommended that French museums give back works that were taken without consent, if African countries request them. So far, France is preparing to give back 26 works of African art — out of some 90,000 works believed held in French museums, most in the Quai Branly.
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Many Americans are mourning the death of Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Makeshift memorials to the popular liberal justice have sprung up all over the country.  One of them at the site of a  large mural dedicated to the justice in September 2019. Anush Avetisyan has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.VIDEOGRAPHER: Andrey Degtyarev
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At least 13 United Nations member states still criminalize transgender people, while others use morality and indecency laws to crack down on the trans community, a report showed on Wednesday.Nigeria, Oman and Lebanon are among the nations with explicit anti-trans laws, according to the latest Trans Legal Mapping Report by LGBT+ rights group ILGA World.The research details trans legislation and policies in 143 U.N. member states and 19 other jurisdictions.Many other countries apply “seemingly innocuous” regulations covering offenses such as “public nuisance, indecency, morality [and] loitering” to police trans communities, the report said.However, at least 96 U.N. member states now have provisions for legal gender recognition, according to the research.Violations of trans rights occurred across the world, said ILGA World’s director of programs Julia Ehrt.”Some of the more shining nations when it comes to legal gender recognition are based in the global south, such as Argentina,” she added.Eight years ago, Argentina joined a handful of countries that let trans people change their gender on official identity documents without physical or psychological tests.In Britain, there has been a ferocious debate in recent years over reforming the 2004 Gender Recognition Act, pitting some feminists against parts of the trans community.The British government launched a consultation two years ago on overhauling the law to allow “self-ID” in England and Wales — a reform opponents said could allow predatory men access to women-only spaces such as toilets.”In the UK, the debate is particularly fierce when you compare it with other debates in European states and I think [it] has, in a certain way, been exported to many of the other Commonwealth countries,” Ehrt said.The report also highlighted some positive developments for trans people over the past two years.Nine countries have taken steps to make it easier for people to change their name and gender classification on official documents such as birth certificates since 2018.British lawmaker Crispin Blunt, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT+ Rights, said the government’s decision to scrap the “self-ID” proposal meant it was “a particularly wretched time in the UK.””Britain continues to claim global leadership on LGBT+ rights but has just decided not to update its own processes,” Blunt said.”Now 25 nations, with more to follow, show us a better example of how to respect the basic human rights of trans and gender diverse people,” he added.
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At last year’s Latin Grammy Awards, popular reggaeton and Latin trap musicians such as J Balvin, Bad Bunny and Ozuna were dismissed in the show’s top categories. This year, they dominate.
Balvin scored a whopping 13 nominations for the 2020 Latin Grammys, including two nominations for album of the year and two for record of the year. The Latin Academy announced Tuesday that Bad Bunny and Ozuna are behind Balvin with nine and eight nominations, respectively.
Balvin has a chance to win his first album of the year prize — a category with 10 contenders — thanks to his fifth solo album “Colores” and “Oasis,” his collaborative project with Bad Bunny. Other nominees include Bad Bunny’s sophomore release “YHLQMDLG” as well as albums from Ricky Martin, Carlos Vives, Jesse & Joy, Kany García, Natalia Lafourcade, Camilo and Fito Paez.
For record of the year, which also has 10 nominees, contenders include popular hip-hop-flavored Latin songs that have dominated the Latin music charts and earned hundreds of millions plays on streaming services, with some even reaching the billion-mark on YouTube, including Karol G and Nicki Minaj’s global hit “Tusa” and “China” by Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Ozuna and Balvin. Other nominees include Balvin’s “Rojo” and Bad Bunny’s “Vete.”
“Tusa” is the sole Latin trap nominee in the song of the year category, where 11 tracks are in contention. It’s a departure for Karol G, who didn’t receive a single nomination last year and was part of the group of uber-successful Latin trap and reggaeton artists who were dissed in top categories like album, song and record of the year.
This year, the Colombian performer who was named best new artist in 2018 has four nominations, including two shared with Minaj. Karol G’s fiance, Puerto Rican rapper-singer Anuel AA, marked a major breakthrough this year as a first-time nominee. He scored seven nominations, including a bid for best new artist.
“Over the last year, we continued engaging in discussions with our members to improve the awards process and actively encouraged diverse Latin music creators to join and participate,” Latin Academy President and CEO Gabriel Abaroa Jr. said in a statement, calling this year’s nominees “a group that reflects the constant evolution of Latin music.”
As a result of last year’s debacle social media exploded as Latin artists posted images of the Grammy logo with a large red “X” across it, with words on the image reading in Spanish: “Without reggaeton, there’s no Latin Grammys.” Balvin even skipped the live show and Bad Bunny, who won best urban music album during the telecast, told the audience: “With all due respect, reggaeton is part of the Latin culture.”
To honor Latin rap and reggaeton performers, the Latin Grammys added new categories this year, including best reggaeton performance and best rap/hip-hop song.
Balvin’s 13 nominations includes several categories where he will compete with himself: Outside of album and record of the year, he’s a double nominee in the best urban music album, best urban fusion/performance and best reggaeton performance categories. Ozuna and Bad Bunny will also compete with themselves in several categories.
Others who scored multiple nominations include Juanes, Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Camilo, Carlos Vives, Kany García and Residente, the most decorated winner in the history of Latin Grammys. Rosalía, who won album of the year last year and became the first solo female performer to win the top honor since Shakira’s triumph in 2006, earned four nominations this year.
Apart from Minaj’s two nominations, other popular American artists who will compete for awards include rapper Travis Scott (best short form music video for “TKN” with Rosalía); jazz master Chick Corea and his Spanish Heart Band (best Latin jazz/jazz album for “Antidote”); DJ-producer Diplo (best urban song for “Rave de Favela” ); and rapper Tyga (best reggaeton performance for “Loco Contigo” with DJ Snake and Balvin). Justin Bieber’s right-hand songwriter, Jason Boyd aka Poo Bear, earned an album of the year nomination for his work on Jesse & Joy’s “Aire (Versión Día).”
The 21st annual Latin Grammy Awards will air live on Nov. 19 on Univision. The nominees in the 53 categories were selected from more than 18,000 entries. Songs and albums released between June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020 were eligible for nomination.
 
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Three countries, three musical traditions, one shared dream. Slavalachia is a cross-cultural collaboration of folk musicians from Belarus, Ukraine and the Appalachian region of the US. The project was meant to be just about the music, but then reality got in the way. Mariia Prus has the story.
Camera: Kostiantyn Golubchik  
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Toni Morrison is on the list. So are John Green and Harper Lee. And John Steinbeck and Margaret Atwood. All wrote books that were among the 100 most subjected to censorship efforts over the past decade, as compiled by the American Library Association.  Sherman Alexie’s prize-winning “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” came in at No. 1, followed by Dav Pilkey’s “Captain Underpants” picture book series and Jay Asher’s young adult novel “Thirteen Reasons Why.” Objections raised by parents and other community members have ranged from explicit language and depictions of drug use in Alexie’s novel to Asher’s theme of suicide.  “A lot of the books on the list also reflect a growing trend in recent years to challenge books by people of color and books from the LGBTQ community,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the library association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. Examples include Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” about a Black girl raped by her father; Alex Gino’s “George,” about a transgender child; and Justin Richardson’s and Peter Parnell’s picture book about two gay penguins, “And Tango Makes Three.”The list was announced Monday as the library association prepares to mark its annual Banned Books Week.Green’s debut novel, “Looking for Alaska,” was ranked fourth, with others in the top 10 including E.L. James’ explicit blockbuster “50 Shades of Grey,” Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novel “Drama” and Lauren Myracle’s “Internet Girls” series.  As with its yearly snapshots of most challenged books, the ALA defines a challenge as a “formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.” The list is based on news reports and on accounts submitted from libraries and others in the local community, although the ALA believes many challenges go unreported. The association does not formally count the number of times books are removed from a library shelf or from a school reading list.The decade list overall is a mixture of old standards such as Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and more recent works such as Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and Suzanne Collins’ multimillion selling “The Hunger Games,” which has been accused of being anti-family and promoting violence. Others included were Atwood’s Dystopian classic “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” and J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye.”  Most of the books are fiction, but the list also includes such nonfiction works as Jeanette Walls’ memoir about growing up with dysfunctional parents, “The Glass Castle,” and “Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl,” which has faced challenges for the Jewish girl’s emerging sexual feelings and physical changes as she and her family hide from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. Frank was 15 when she was captured in 1944, and she died in a concentration camp the following year.  “There are actually two lines of objections to the Anne Frank diary,” Caldwell-Stone said. “One line is about her physical attraction to a boy (Peter Schiff, whom she met in school) and there were also objections that it was inappropriate for someone 12 years old to learn about the Holocaust. It was too much of a downer. It was not uplifting to young people.”
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Three Bollywood actors, including top star Deepika Padukone, were questioned by India’s narcotics agency on Saturday as part of an investigation into the movie industry’s alleged links with drug peddlers and cartels, officials said.Padukone was the first to arrive at the Narcotics Control Board’s office in Mumbai. She had received a summons earlier in the week while shooting a movie in the western beach resort of Goa.Video broadcast live on Indian TV news channels later showed Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan also reaching the agency’s office for questioning.Details of the questioning were not immediately available.The narcotics agency said in a statement that it started the Bollywood drug probe after the death of young actor Sushant Singh Rajput, whose body was found at his Mumbai residence in June. An investigation is ongoing.Padukone is one of more than a dozen people working with the Hindi movie industry who have been questioned by the agency in the past two weeks. Her manager Karishma Prakash was questioned on Friday.A top Bollywood filmmaker, Karan Johan, said in a statement Friday that allegations of narcotics being consumed at a party hosted by him in July last year at his residence were “false and baseless.” His response came after an old video from a star-studded party at his residence surfaced on social media. 
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From dark, crowded venues, to social-distanced back yards, stand-up comedians are adapting to life in the nation with the world’s highest death toll from COVID-19.  VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias found comics in the Washington, DC area who, despite their own struggles, are still succeeding to make people laugh.
Camera, producer: Veronica Balderas Iglesias
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