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Music Review: ‘Who’s Next/Life House’ is a dive into The Who’s masterpiece that mostly slipped away

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:32 GMT

“Who’s Next/Life House” — The Who’s massive new box set — dives deep down the archival rabbit hole to shed light on the development of one of the band’s greatest records — and one grandiose idea that (mostly) slipped away.The 10-disc, 155-track collection out Friday shows how Pete Townshend ’s self-described “mad idea” for a science fiction rock opera “Life House” project, which was abandoned and eventually became 1971’s “Who’s Next.” But the sprawling original concept from The Who’s songwriter, lead guitar player and vocalist never left his mind and got refashioned numerous times in various formats over the ensuing half century.At its most basic, Townshend’s original “Life House” concept foresees a future where an autocratic government, in a land ravaged by pollution, enforces a national lockdown where every person is hooked up to an entertainment grid to distract them. Music becomes an inconvenient diversion to the powers that be, while inhabitants se...

A new campaign ad from Poland’s ruling party features Germany’s chancellor in an unfavorable light

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:32 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s conservative ruling party unveiled a new campaign ad Monday that portrays German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in an unfavorable light, drawing criticism from opposition parties and ridicule on social media. The Law and Justice party has governed Poland since 2015 and is seeking to keep power in parliamentary elections on Oct. 15. In the new campaign spot, party leader and Poland’s most powerful politician, Jaroslaw Kaczynski pretends to reject a call from Scholz suggesting that Poland should raise the retirement age, which is one of the topics of a voter referendum taking place at the same time as the election. The question targets the main opposition party, Civic Platform and its leader, Donald Tusk, a former Polish prime minister and European Union president who was on good terms with Germany. Civic Platform raised the retirement age before Law and Justice came to power. In the spot, Kaczynski speaks into a cellphone and tells a pretend employe...

Damar Hamlin not expected to play in the Bills’ opener against the Jets, AP source says

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:32 GMT

Damar Hamlin is not expected to play in a regular-season game for the first time since going into cardiac arrest when the Buffalo Bills open the season against the New York Jets on Monday night, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.Hamlin, a safety who had to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati in January, played in three exhibition games this summer. He made the Bills’ roster as a backup after many doubted he would be able to take the field again.The decision not to activate him on Monday night, which was first reported by ESPN and NFL Network, was confirmed to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Bills did not announce their lineup ahead of the game.Listed as the fourth safety on Buffalo’s depth chart, Hamlin is expected to be limited to mostly special teams roles barring injuries to starters Jordan Poyer or Micah Hyde.Hamlin, 25, was starting in place of an injured Hyde against the Bengals on Jan. 2 when his heart stopped as a result of com...

Cease-fire declared after days of intense fighting in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:32 GMT

SIDON, Lebanon (AP) — An “immediate and lasting cease-fire” was declared Monday after a top Lebanese general met with officials from rival Palestinian factions, following days of fighting in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, which left several people dead and dozens wounded.It was the latest in a series of cease-fires that only lasted for hours before fighting erupted again. It was not clear if this truce will hold and whether rival groups will abide by it. The announcement was made in Beirut.Gunfire and explosions were heard throughout the day inside the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, claiming the life of one person. Stray bullets and shells hit residential areas in the country’s third-largest city.The fighting that broke out Thursday night after nearly a month of calm in Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp near the port city of Sidon between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah group and militant Islamist groups has left six people dead and more than 50 wounded according...

Disney, Charter settle cable dispute hours before ‘Monday Night Football’ season opener

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Hours before the fall’s first “Monday Night Football” game, Disney and Charter Communications have settled a business dispute that had left some 15 million cable TV customers without ESPN and other Disney channels.Disney said that because of the deal, the majority of its ESPN customers would have service restored to Charter’s Spectrum cable system right away. Charter confirmed the deal Monday.It comes before the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills were to debut their season on ESPN and ESPN2. It’s the first game for the Jets with Aaron Rodgers as quarterback, and many Spectrum customers are in the New York area.Source

Harris, DeSantis and Giuliani are among politicians marking Sept. 11 terror attacks at ground zero

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris, Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani joined New York politicians and mourners at a 9/11 memorial ceremony at ground zero Monday.The bipartisan group of politicians was not scheduled to speak at the ceremony, marking the 22nd anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. The solemn ceremony in lower Manhattan was instead focused on the hourslong reading of the names of the dead.The hijacked plane attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives and upended American foreign policy and national security also created a sense of national unity across the political spectrum rarely seen in today’s U.S. politics.Monday’s ceremony brought political opponents to the same hallowed ground, though they did not appear to be interacting. Harris, who arrived with New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, passed not far from where DeSantis and his wife stood. Along with Ha...

Met Opera, Lincoln Center Theater commission work about detained Ukrainian children

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A Ukrainian composer has been commissioned to write an opera about mothers from that country going into Russia to rescue their forcibly detained children.The Metropolitan Opera and Lincoln Center Theater said Monday that 42-year-old Maxim Kolomiiets will compose the work to a libretto by George Brant, whose “Grounded” with composer Jeanine Tesori premieres at the Washington National Opera on Oct. 28 and travels to the Met in the autumn of 2024. Met general manager Peter Gelb hopes the company can present the new work by 2027 or ’28.The story is fictional but based on events in Ukraine and The Hague. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on March 17 for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of abducting children from Ukraine.Gelb said discussions began last fall with Ukraine first lady Olena Zelenska when she visited New York and Kolomiiets was picked from among 72 applicat...

How students are developing solutions to the problem of campus sexual and gender-based violence

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:32 GMT

Rebecca Hall, Queen’s University, OntarioSome universities have removed course information from public websites as part of efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, following the stabbing attack this past summer on June 28 at the University of Waterloo.Police recently added an additional charge of attempted murder to previous charges faced by a man accused of entering a classroom and stabbing three people in a gender studies class. Police believe the attack was motivated by hate related to gender expression and gender identity.While institutional responses pertaining to increasing security or surveillance technology are important, we can’t build a wall big enough, or an alarm system sharp enough, to protect students from hate, patriarchy or rape culture.And in some cases, responses like added policing can lead to increased violence, especially for Black, queer, trans, Indigenous, poor or non-binary people.As one response to the problem of gender-based violence o...

Photos: 1st snowfall on Colorado peaks

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:32 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — It's starting to look like winter on top of some Colorado peaks. Longs PeakLongs Peak, which sits at 14,259 feet, recorded snow just before 7 a.m. Monday. Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Chris Tomer said this was the peak's first snow of the season.The first snow of the season has fallen on Longs Peak on Sept. 11, 2023. (National Park Service)Temperatures on the peak reached 38 degrees with mostly cloudy skies and light winds. Be sure to check the weather forecast before you hike this fall, Longs Peak isn't the only snow-covered mountain.Breck's Five PeaksMother Nature showed a "sneak peak" of the fresh dusting on Breck’s Five Peaks. Vail Resorts said this is their official first snow of the season.Snow across Breck’s Five Peaks (Sarah Mclear, Breckenridge Ski Resort) Will it snow in Denver in September? Pikes PeakSnow covered another 14er Monday morning. The Pikes Peak summit had white-out conditions with the temperature just above 40 degrees. Snow on Pikes Peak (P...

Commerce City police clear car in explosives threat

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:00:32 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Commerce City Police evacuated businesses while they investigate a car that was allegedly rigged to explode.At 11:11 a.m. Monday, Commerce City Police Department said officers are in the area of East 49th Avenue. The area is west of a large truck stop.Police said a suspect is in custody after claiming the car he was in was rigged to explode. Nearby businesses were evacuated. Police later said no bombs were found in the vehicle. Aurora family denied $30K claim after pothole totals car Traffic is being impacted, East 49th Avenue is closed between Pontiac and Olive Street.Police are asking everyone to avoid the area.