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US Actor Luke Perry Dead at 52

Luke Perry, who gained instant heartthrob status as wealthy rebel Dylan McKay on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” died Monday after suffering a massive stroke, his publicist said. He was 52.

 

Perry was surrounded by family and friends when he died, publicist Arnold Robinson said. The actor had been hospitalized since last Wednesday, after a 911 call summoned medical help to his home in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles.

 

“The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning,” Robinson said in a statement. At Perry’s bedside were his children, Jake and Sophie; fiancee Wendy Madison Bauer and his former wife, Minnie Sharp.

 

Perry had played construction-company owner Fred Andrews, father of main character Archie Andrews, for three seasons on “Riverdale,” the CW series that gives a dark take on “Archie” comics. A fourth season has been slated.

 

Born and raised in rural Fredericktown, Ohio, Perry gained fame on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” which ran from 1990 to 2000.

 

Perry has had roles in a handful of films, including “The Fifth Element,” “8 Seconds” and “American Strays.” He appeared in HBO’s prison drama “Oz” and voiced cartoons like “The Incredible Hulk” and “Mortal Kombat.” In recent years he starred in the series “Ties That Bind” and “Body of Proof.”

 

The same day he was hospitalized, Fox TV announced that it would be running a six-episode return of “90210” that features most of the original cast, but Perry was not among those announced.

 

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From Satirical to Silly, Walking Clubs Spice Up Mardi Gras

A floppy-eared pooch wearing a red crustacean costume rides in a wagon decorated like a shrimp boat, followed by another “boat” wagon occupied by a pug in a sailor hat.

Behind them, on a leash, strolls a white maltese in a Wonder Woman costume alongside canines in fluffy purple, green and gold tutus.

The dog-centered Krewe of Barkus is one of 50 walking Carnival clubs in New Orleans that parade throughout the Mardi Gras season, ranging from satirical and political to the cute and risque.

It’s the most walking clubs in the city’s long Carnival history, making the weekslong celebration more colorful and diverse than ever, says Mardi Gras historian Arthur Hardy, who publishes an annual guide with historical facts about Carnival, as well as parade schedules and route maps.

“It’s just amazing how many different ways there are to express yourself at Mardi Gras,” Hardy said. And the walking clubs have added “a new level of inclusion and diversity and participation that we have not seen before.”

Among the favorite walking parades drawing thousands of spectators yearly are the Star Wars-themed Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus, the satirical and sometimes downright raunchy adult-themed Krewe du Vieux, and Barkus.

While some groups put on choreographed dances or march between floats and bands in the larger parades, others take center stage in the French Quarter, strolling along the narrow streets of the historic neighborhood where large floats aren’t permitted.

Krewe of Cork members donning grape and wine-themed costumes sipped from goblets as they handed out beads with corks and grapevine emblems.

The “krewe,” the New Orleans name for a Carnival club, included women dressed in nude bodysuits covered with clear balls made to look like champagne bubbles.

Thousands of spectators turned out for the parade, watching from the sidewalks of the city’s famed Bourbon Street, where topless women held signs advertising colorful “nipple glitter” for revelers wanting to decorate their breasts.

Naughty or not, it’s all in good fun, and most parades are family-friendly, Hardy said.

“The best thing I like about it is the freedom of expression and the creativity,” said New Orleans native Cortney Sessum, donning a platinum blond wig as she took in the sights of Barkus. “I love seeing the costume ideas.”

Some walking clubs have already paraded and are done for the season, while others will parade more than once. And there’s still plenty to see between now and Fat Tuesday on March 5.

The Krewe of Red Beans, where members use red beans in place of beads to create elaborate suits and costumes, will parade on “Lundi Gras,” the Monday before Mardi Gras, in a nod to the city’s culinary tradition of eating red beans and rice on Mondays.

Among the groups parading on Fat Tuesday is Pete Fountain’s Half Fast Marching Club, which walks ahead of the Zulu and Rex float parades, as well as the masked revelers of the Society of St. Anne and several Mardi Gras Indian tribes donning elaborately beaded costumes and tall feathered headdresses.

“There’s something for everyone,” Hardy said. “I tell people, if you can’t have a good time at Mardi Gras, you better check your pulse. Something’s wrong with you, baby.”

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Arts & Entertainment
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Pharrell to Launch Music Festival in Virginia Beach in April

Pharrell is heading home to Virginia Beach to launch a new music and culture festival.

The Grammy-winning superstar announced Monday SOMETHING IN THE WATER, a multi-day event he’s calling a “cultural experience” that will debut April 26-28. He will perform on a stage set on the beach; other performers include Missy Elliott, Travis Scott, Migos, Dave Matthews Band, Janelle Monae, Diplo, SZA, Lil Uzi Vert and Pusha T.

Tickets go on sale Friday.

Pharrell said in an interview with The Associated Press that he created the festival to give back to the community that raised him and helped him achieve his goals and dreams.

“Virginians are taste-makers,” he said, naming famous folks from the state, from Ella Fitzgerald to Allen Iverson to Missy Elliott.

“Virginia has been home to some of the most gifted artists, athletes, and scientists to ever live. And it makes sense — the people of Virginia are one-of-a-kind: uniquely gritty, bold, and brilliant,” Pharrell said. “Virginia needs this right now and the world will see what we Virginians have known all along: there really is Something in the Water.”

The festival won’t just focus on music: The film “The Burial of Kojo” — acquired by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY company — will be screened, followed by a discussion. The film will premiere on Netflix on March 31.

SOMETHING IN THE WATER will also include a pop-up church service, karaoke featuring trap music as well as moments with wellness expert Deepak Chopra and Geoffrey Canada, the president of the Harlem Children’s Zone whose work has transformed the lives of thousands of inner-city youth.

Other musicians set to perform include Jaden Smith, Anderson .Paak, Kaytranada, Ferg, Jhene Aiko, Rosalia, Leikeli47, Maggie Rogers, Mac DeMarco, Masego, Virgil Abloh and John-Robert.

“It’s been fun curating the artist-performers,” said the Oscar-nominated Pharrell, who has produced hits for everyone from Jay-Z to Britney Spears.

Virginia Beach Mayor Robert “Bobby” Dyer said the festival “is going to be a transformative event for our city.”

“We are absolutely thrilled with the plans Pharrell and his team have for this year. There will be no doubt that what is in the water' around Virginia Beach issomething’ very special,” he said.

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The Prodigy Singer Keith Flint Dead at 49

Keith Flint, the singer and iconic frontman of British rave scene band The Prodigy, has died at the age of 49, the electronic pop group said.

Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious after finding his body on Monday in Essex, northeast of London.

“We attended and, sadly, a 49-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed,” Essex Police told AFP.

“The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

The Prodigy issued a statement calling Flint a “true pioneer, innovator and legend”, Britain’s domestic Press Association news agency reported.

Heavily tattooed and topped with a bleached mohawk, Flint helped turn The Prodigy into one of the most influential groups to emerge from the underground rave scene.

Their biggest hits included “Firestarter” and “Smack My Bitch Up”, which merged intense dance beats with punk elements.

“There was a real determination for it to have zero compromise,” Flint told AFP in 2015.

“There really needed to be an antidote to the DJ scene, which made it quite brutal.”

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Silicon Valley & Technology
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China Launches Tech Hub Megalopolis to Rival Silicon Valley

As the global race to gain the lead in next generation tech heats up, China is stepping up its efforts, recently announcing a long-awaited plan to link up its southern Pearl River Delta into a massive hub of technology, research finance and innovation.

The possibilities and challenges of the project are both equally challenging and promising, analysts say.

Some describe the plan as an attempt to create a mega-city to rival Silicon Valley, the U.S. technology powerhouse that is home to companies such as Google, Facebook, and Apple.

But while Silicon Valley has a population of 3.1 million and covers an area 121.4 square kilometers, the Greater Bay Area will link up nine cities together with Hong Kong and Macau and cover an area of 56,000 square kilometers. The area will have a population of about 70 million and the economic heft, state media argues, to drive the Chinese economy, let alone the world.

According to the plan, which was announced recently and is expected to be a prominent topic during high-level political meetings this month in Beijing, each city will focus on an area of strength. For example, Hong Kong will focus on finance, Macau tourism, Shenzhen, innovation and technology, Guangzhou will be a gateway and logistic hub and so on.

The plan is not necessarily new. China’s opening up to the world more than four decades ago began in the south and the Pearl River Delta has long been home to some of the country’s leading companies from telecommunications – such as Huawei to Internet giant Tencent and host of other technology and manufacturing enterprises.

“It’s (the plan) a natural evolution of economic growth and the growth engine,” said Adam Xu, partner at OC&C Strategy Consultants. “If you really look at history in China, a lot of top down plans always have some bottom up support. A lot of economic activity has already happened there, then you have a grand plan to first officially recognize, then to promote and to further accelerate.”

Xu said that as labor costs rise in China, the country is looking to move up the industrial value chain and the program seeks to do just that to push the region on to the next wave, be it the manufacturing of electric cars, financial services or telecommunications.

It also aims to drive investment to the area at a time when foreign funds flowing into the country are sagging.

Challenges

One key challenge, Xu adds, will be execution. The plan will tie together three different legal jurisdictions and that makes the plan unique compared to the two other major mega-city projects in China – the Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin merger and the Yangtze River Delta integration plan near Shanghai.

“We don’t know how effective the top down grand plan will (be in) guiding the many independent growing forces at the city level to coordinate and be successful,” Xu said. “This part will be quite an important challenge.”

China has long had deep pockets when it comes to making investments that push forward technological advances. In many cases, however, that has led to overlaps in development and spending on technology and in turn oversupply.

“Looking at the grand scheme each city doesn’t have anything new,” said C.Y. Huang, partner of FCC Partners. “The biggest challenge and the biggest beauty – if they can pull it off – will be linking all of these together. 

One way the plan could do that is not just by lifting physical barriers, but the flow of people, information and money.

China has already taken major strides to overcome some of the physical obstacles such as linking Hong Kong with Guangzhou and Shenzhou by high-speed rail and its recent opening of the 55-kilometer Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge. 

But other barriers may prove to be a bigger challenge.

“I think it is really the barriers in systems that is the challenge. If they can really pull that off that will be a tremendous benefit and synergy in the long term,” Huang said.

At the same time, he added, we shouldn’t underestimate the social and political aspect of the challenges because we are talking about people.

“One is a communist country, and the other is a free society. Although they talk about one country two systems, still it is different,” Huang said.

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Spielberg’s Push Against Netflix At The Oscars Hits a Nerve

“Roma” may not have won the best picture Oscar this year, but it came close enough to make some of Hollywood’s top players worried about Netflix’s infiltration of their most prestigious award.

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg intends to support rule changes that could block Netflix from Oscars-eligibility at an upcoming meeting of the film academy’s board of governors. 

The move has provoked a heated and unwieldy debate online this weekend that has found the legendary filmmaker at odds with some industry heavyweights, who have pointed out that Netflix has been an important supporter of minority filmmakers and stories, especially in awards campaigns. 

It has also reignited the ongoing streaming versus theatrical debate.

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