Robert Redford, Oscar-winning actor, director and indie patriarch, dies at 89
Robert Redford has died at 89. The Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema died in Utah on Tuesday. His publicist didn't immediately provide a cause of death. After rising to stardom in the 1960s, Redford was one of the biggest stars of the ’70s with such films as “The Candidate,” “All the President’s Men” and “The Way We Were.” Redford played the wily outlaw opposite Paul Newman in 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” a box-office smash from which Redford’s Sundance Institute and festival got its name.
John Lithgow to return to Broadway in a Roald Dahl play that's not for kids
NEW YORK (AP) — John Lithgow is returning to Broadway in a play that might change how we read bedtime stories to our children. The two-time Tony Award-winner will star as Roald Dahl in “Giant,” which explores accusations of antisemitism against the beloved writer. The play, by director-turned-playwright Mark Rosenblatt, won the Olivier Award earlier this year for best new play in London. Set over a single afternoon in 1983, “Giant” presents Dahl facing outcry after making antisemitic comments. Jewish representatives from Dahl’s publishers visit his home to chart a course. Lithgow is also set to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s “Harry Potter” TV series.
Many sports fans are unhappy with how much it costs to watch their games, an AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll finds sports fans are likelier to use a combination of streaming services and traditional TV options to access their favorite teams. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll shows this complicated and often expensive patchwork is common for many sports fans and leaves them beholden to multiple platforms and subscriptions if they want to keep up with their teams. About 4 in 10 people who follow sports “extremely” or “very” closely use both cable and satellite TV and a sports streaming platform. That's compared with about 2 in 10 people who follow sports “somewhat” closely.
Spain threatens Eurovision boycott if Israel competes
MADRID (AP) — Spain has joined the group of countries threatening not to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest unless Israel is excluded from the competition over the war in the Gaza Strip. The Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia have already taken the same stance. Spain’s addition to the list puts more pressure on both Israel and the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the popular contest. Russia was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Israel has continued to compete the past two years despite disputes over its participation.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America are still benefiting from Nate Bargatze's controversial Emmys bit
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America has seen a surge in donations after a controversial fundraising stunt at the Emmy Awards. Host Nate Bargatze pledged $100,000, adjusting the amount based on acceptance speech lengths. Despite the gimmick, which had donation totals in negative territory near the end of the night, the organization received $250,000 from Bargatze and $100,000 from CBS. The nonprofit says its donation totals have more than doubled compared to this time last week. While some applauded the stunt, others criticized it as insincere. Fundraising strategist T. Clay Buck argued that generosity should not be conditional or theatrical.
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Arthur Sze is appointed US poet laureate as the Library of Congress faces challenges
The Library of Congress has named Arthur Sze the new U.S. poet laureate. The library announced Monday Sze will serve a one-year term, starting this fall. The 74-year-old author and translator succeeds Ada Limón. Sze was initially hesitant about the role due to concerns over the responsibilities involved and recent upheaval at the federal library. However, Sze accepted the position after considering the opportunity to give back to poetry. Sze plans to focus on translation, which he believes can deepen the appreciation of poetry. Sze says from his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, poetry has helped him grow “in every way.” The New York City native studied at the University of California, Berkeley.
Emmy Awards ratings up 8% with CBS audience of 7.4 million
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Emmy Awards have seen a ratings boost as the television industry aims to recover from recent disruptions. About 7.4 million viewers watched the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on CBS, hosted by Nate Bargatze. This marks the most-watched Emmys since 2021, showing an 8% increase from the previous year's ABC telecast. Sunday’s show was up more than 70% from the all-time low of 4.3 million from the Fox telecast of January 2024, which was delayed by months because of Hollywood’s writers and actors strikes. The Emmys last attracted over 10 million viewers in 2018, and nearly 22 million in 2000.
Joy Reid and Percival Everett are among winners of the 46th annual American Book Awards
NEW YORK (AP) — Former MSNBC host Joy Reid and authors Percival Everett and John Edgar Wideman are among this year's recipients of the American Book Awards. The awards announced Monday celebrate diversity in American art and culture and are presented by the Before Columbus Foundation. Reid, who left MSNBC in February, received the foundation's anti-censorship prize. Wideman won a lifetime achievement award. Honorees for current works include Everett for “James,” his Pulitzer Prize-winning retelling of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”; Kaveh Akbar for “Martyr!”; Danzy Senna for “Colored Television” and Claire Messud for “This Strange Eventful History.” The awards aim to recognize literary excellence without limitations, reflecting diversity naturally.
Couldn't make it to see Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico? He's livestreaming his last concert
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bad Bunny’s residency in Puerto Rico has boosted the island’s economy and stoked conversations about its identity and struggles. Now, fans from around the world will have a chance to tune in. Amazon announced Monday that the Puerto Rican singer’s final show of his “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” residency on Sept. 20 will be livestreamed to give “fans everywhere front-row access to this historic concert." The show is the last in a historic nine-concert residency exclusively for Puerto Rico residents and will be streamed for free on the Amazon Music app, Prime Video and Twitch starting at 8:30 p.m. ET
'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle' opens to $70M, biggest anime debut to claim top box-office spot
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” carved out a place in box office history this weekend, slicing straight to No. 1 to outpace the horror sequel “The Conjuring: Last Rites.” The Sony-owned Crunchyroll release shattered expectations with a mighty $70 million debut in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore. That haul marks the biggest domestic opening ever for an anime film, surpassing “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which opened with $31 million in 1999. The film also opened in 49 international markets, earning a global total so far of $178 million. “The Conjuring: Last Rites” took the No. 2 spot at the box office, earning $26 million in North America.
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