NEW YORK (AP) — A giant schnauzer named Monty has won the top prize at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. Monty bested six other finalists to take best in show Tuesday night at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The award is considered the most prestigious prize in the U.S. dog show world. Each dog is judged according to how closely it matches the ideal for its breed. Winners get a trophy, ribbons and bragging rights, but no cash prize.… Continue Reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Irv Gotti, a music mogul who founded Murder Inc. Records and was behind major hip-hop and R&B artists such as Ashanti and Ja Rule, has died. He was 54. Def Jam Recordings announced Gotti’s death in a statement late Wednesday night. Def Jam was the parent company of Murder Inc. It did not give a cause of death. Gotti, whose real name is Irving Lorenzo, founded Murder Inc. with his brother in the late 1990s. The label gained worldwide prominence through platinum-selling artists Ashanti and Ja Rule. Gotti had also worked with artists DMX, Fat Joe and Jay-Z, among other huge names in the genre.… Continue Reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyoncé has won album of the year at the The 67th Grammy Awards, delivering her the show’s top honor. The ceremony was transformed by the Los Angeles area wildfires but put a spotlight on the city’s resiliency. The telecast began with a powerful opening performance of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” by Dawes — whose members were directly affected by the Eaton fire — backed by John Legend, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent. The Weeknd ended his Grammys boycott with a surprise performance of two new songs. Kendrick Lamar won song and record of the year for “Not Like Us.” Chappell Roan was named best new artist.… Continue Reading
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil’s team of top-hatted associates says he has seen his shadow and is predicting six more weeks of wintry weather. The prognosticating woodchuck made his forecast as the sun rose Sunday in western Pennsylvania. The annual ritual goes back more than a century and has far older roots in European agricultural life. The event’s date of Feb. 2 doesn’t just divide the calendar between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It’s also a time of year that figures in the Celtic calendar and the Christian holiday of Candlemas.… Continue Reading