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Music Review: Ben Folds sings about motel flings and other topical subjects on hook-filled album

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

“What Matters Most,” Ben Folds (New West)Ben Folds’ pop confections are sweet and tart, a recipe that makes him popular with both boomers and college students. He’s a master melodist and sly satirist, a sentimental cynic and piano pounder who loves a waltz.All those sides are evident on “What Matters Most,” an engaging 10-song set and Folds’ first studio album since 2015.As usual, his musical approach varies widely, from pingponging synthesizer to lyrical piano, a string section, horns and handclaps, a 7/4 time signature and overdubbed vocals in inventive arrangements that evoke the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees and a barbershop quartet. Hummable hooks are plentiful as Folds sings about “life and doldrums and pain,” hilariously swears off motel flings, and makes surrendering to love sound triumphant.His conversational lyrics lament the state of Western civilization on “But Wait, There’s More,” and specifically the perils of internet disinformation on “Kristine From the 7th Grade.” For th...

How the most ‘incompetent talk show host of all time’ keeps getting guests

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Eric Andre Show” is ostensibly not a series that lends itself to longevity. Its titular star, who plays a version of himself and satirizes talk shows by putting unsuspecting celebrity guests through hellish interviews, has become considerably more famous since the series first aired over a decade ago.But through a combination of disguises and an artfully deceptive booking team, Andre is gearing up for the premiere of the sixth season this Sunday on Adult Swim, boasting a star-studded list of guests in the episodes to come, including Lil Nas X,Natasha Lyonne and Jon Hamm.“We used to worry about, like, ‘Oh, am I going to be more recognizable?’” Andre said of his increasing fame, eventually realizing it doesn’t take much to fool people. “I disguised myself a lot this season. I rocked the ponytail and the glasses, and I would wear COVID masks sometimes.”There is a kind of poetic, albeit sadistic, justice that comes from watching the cult show make the most envied...

British teen reported to anti-terror police by mother gets life sentence with minimum 6-year term

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A teenage man who was reported to British anti-terror authorities by his mother was jailed for life on Friday. Matthew King, 19, will serve a minimum term of six years for plotting a terror attack on police officers or soldiers.In what was the first terror sentencing in England and Wales to be televised, the judge praised King’s mother for taking her suspicions to the Prevent counter-terror program.“She took the very bold step of alerting Prevent when she had concerns for her son,” Judge Mark Lucraft said during sentencing at the Old Bailey, the central criminal court in central London. “That cannot have been an easy thing to do in the first place, and in my view she absolutely did the right thing.”In January, King pleaded guilty to the preparation of terror acts between Dec. 22, 2021 and May 17, 2022.King, who was radicalized online during the coronavirus pandemic, had expressed a desire to kill military personnel as he prepared to stake out a Britis...

Feds open to cutting plastic production but global agreement will be hard: Guilbeault

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

OTTAWA — Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says he is not opposed to cutting back on how many plastic products are made as the world works toward a global treaty to eliminate plastic pollution.But he says that may become one of the biggest sticking points in the negotiations, which are supposed to conclude at the end of next year.The second round of those talks wrap up in Paris today and Guilbeault says Canada is going to host the next round about a year from now.Environment groups say the only true way to eliminate plastic pollution is to make less plastic in the first place.Canada has not formally backed those calls in the treaty talks but in an interview Guilbeault says he is “not opposed to it.”Guilbeault also says the government is about to announce new policies to prevent plastic waste from being exported from Canada without knowing what happens to it after that.This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2023.The Canadian Press

Wegmans is closing one of its largest grocery stores. Its unusual location hurt business

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

NATICK, Mass. (AP) — The Wegmans supermarket chain is closing one of its largest and most unusual stores because it has not attracted enough business, the company said.The Natick, Massachusetts store will close on an undetermined date this summer, the Rochester, New York-based company said in a statement on Thursday.“Making these decisions is never easy. However, we do it for the long-term benefit of our people, our customers, and our communities,” Brien MacKendrick, the regional human resources director, said in the statement. “Unfortunately, with this nontraditional location we are unable to attract enough customers for our business model to work.”The 134,000-square-foot (12,450-square-meter) store opened in 2018 in a space within the Natick Mall once occupied by a JCPenney department store. It was the supermarket chain’s first two-level store within a major mall.The store also had a full-service Mexican restaurant, until it closed in 2019.The store has 365 employees and all...

Toronto mayoral candidates resume campaigning after suspect arrested for making threats

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

Campaigning resumed on Friday, less than a day after a man was arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot candidates in Toronto’s mayoral race.Olivia Chow said she personally didn’t feel threatened and took the opportunity to highlight her safe city pledge during an announcement on Friday morning in which she accepted the endorsement of two Toronto councillors.Ana Bailao appeared to have developed a new slogan for her campaign.“I will not be intimidated as a candidate and I will definitely not be intimidated as your mayor.”Mitzie Hunter said the incident caused her to review security details with her team.“In some cases, we’ve enhanced those security protocols and what we will continue to do is review them on a day-to-day basis,” she said.Junior Francois Lavagesse, 29, of Toronto, has been arrested in connection with Thursday’s incident, which forced the cancellation of a scheduled debate at the Ontario College of Art & Design Uni...

Gardiner, DVP to be closed most of Sunday for cycling fundraiser

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

Drivers in Toronto will have to pack their patience on Sunday when a cycling fundraiser will close large potions of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway for most of the day.The Bike for Brain Health, which raises money and awareness to help defeat dementia, will see thousands of cyclists take over the key Toronto throughways.The following road closures will be taking place starting at 2 a.m. and remain in effect until 4 p.m.Don Valley Parkway from Gardiner Expressway to York Mills RoadGardiner Expressway from South Kingsway to Don Valley Parkwayadditional roads surrounding Exhibition Place Toronto police are trying to give drivers plenty of warning time, sending out a release on Friday that advises people to explore alternate routes or better yet, leaving the car behind in favour of public transit.“Motorists can expect significant delays in the downtown core, particularly on the arterial roadways,” police said.

Nearly 700 more international firefighters coming to Canada to help battle fires

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

OTTAWA — Almost 700 firefighters from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the United States are set to arrive in Canada over the next two weeks to help with the unusually severe start to the wildfire season.There are already more than 500 international firefighters, incident commanders and other workers in Alberta, which has been battling multiple severe fires since early May.Most of the additional help will also go to Alberta, though some are being sent to Nova Scotia where out-of-control fires have been wreaking havoc since last weekend.Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair says the Canada Interagency Forest Fire Centre ensures that crews from across the provinces and from other countries are sent to areas that need the most help.Blair says this fire season has been unprecedented both for the number of big and uncontained fires this early in the year and the number of provinces affected at the same time.There are 214 fires burning and 93 of them are out of contro...

'He wanted better:' 14-year-old killed, 4 wounded after shooting involving police on South Side; 1 in custody

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

CHICAGO — A 14-year-old boy was killed in a shooting that left four others wounded, including the alleged suspect, on the city's South Side. Three police officers were also injured and hospitalized for observation.Among the wounded was a 14-year-old boy who was shot in the chest and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. He has been identified as Pierre Johnson.A family friend told WGN News that Johnson was loved by his friends, family, baseball coaches and teammates."He didn't want this life, he wanted more, I just can't believe this happened to him," Chris Cozzi, a family friend said. Family members told WGN Johnson was the second family member they have lost to gun violence in the past five years. He recently made the baseball team at Perspectives Academy and was looking forward to travel season this summer."He didn't deserve it. He was such a good boy, he was such an athlete, such a good brother," Cuzzi said.According to a prelimin...

Illinois' Lotto jackpot reaches record-breaking amount

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

ILLINOIS — The record has officially been broken, again, for largest Lotto jackpot in Illinois as yet another drawing has passed without a top prize winner.To date, the largest Lotto prize ever won was in June 2020 to the tune of $16.5 million. Thursday's drawing inched past it with a jackpot of $16.55 million. Now, however, the jackpot has risen to $16.7 million. Chase online banking bug causing double transactions, fees The jackpot has been growing since it was last won in October, 2022. That winning ticket was sold in River Grove for a total prize of $4.85 million. 98 drawings have now come and gone without a jackpot winner.Want a crack at the largest Lotto jackpot ever? The game's next drawing is set for Saturday. Tickets must be purchased by 9:15 p.m.