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George Takei to lead Banned Books Week, urging the fight against censorship

NEW YORK (AP) — Actor-activist George Takei’s next project is on behalf of a longtime passion — the right to read. The American Library Association announced Monday that the 88-year-old Takei will serve as honorary chair of Banned Books Week, which takes place Oct. 5-11. Libraries and bookstores around the country will highlights books that have been censored, from Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer” to Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.” “I remember all too well the lack of access to books and media that I needed growing up. First as a child in a barbed-wire prison camp, ...

Met season opens with new opera based on Michael Chabon novel starring tenor Miles Mykkanen

NEW YORK (AP) — Miles Mykkanen grew up wanting to sing and dance on Broadway, but he was turned down by the musical theater programs he applied to for college. So he had to “settle” for studying opera at the Juilliard School at Lincoln Center. “At 18, when your sights are set on 42nd Street and then you’re getting called to 65th Street, it was weirdly a letdown,” he recalled. “But after a few hours I kind of slapped myself and said ‘Miles, pull yourself together.’” That was 16 years ago, and he has since pulled himself together to such an extent that at age 34 ...

Zohran Mamdani pulls out of local ABC town hall over Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced he is pulling out of a town hall held by a local ABC station following the national network’s decision to suspend late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. Mamdani said he canceled his appearance at the upcoming town hall after ABC pulled Kimmel’s show off the air following backlash over the host’s comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. “I am withdrawing not as an indictment of the local affiliate or the hardworking journalists, but rather in response to the corporate leaders who have put their ...

Harry Styles runs Berlin Marathon in under 3 hours

BERLIN (AP) — English singer and songwriter Harry Styles ran the Berlin Marathon in under three hours on Sunday. Organizers confirmed to The Associated Press that Styles took part. Local newspaper Der Tagesspiegel was the first to report his participation. The 31-year-old former member of the One Direction boy band was among some 55,000 runners taking part in the race on what is widely regarded as the fastest marathon track in the world. Styles – using the pseudonym Sted Sarandos and wearing a headband and sunglasses – completed the route in 2 hours, 59 minutes, 13 seconds. ...